


Adia

by kmou



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Suicide, Character Death, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Romance, Self-Harm, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-02
Updated: 2008-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 38
Words: 145,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29951730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmou/pseuds/kmou
Summary: Based around the episodes "The End of the World" (2x05) and "Meet the Dupes" (2x08).Future-Max had travelled to the past and told present-Liz that she had to help her present-Max fall out of love with her. As a last resort, she pretended to sleep with Kyle, thus her plan succeeding enough to change the future.But what if Future-Liz had come back to the past to change the future that present-Liz had created? What if the Dupes aren't evil? What if Zan is alive and well? What if Future-Liz left something behind for Liz? What will become of Max, Liz, and Zan?
Relationships: Alex Whitman/Lonnie, Ava/Kyle Valenti, Future-Liz/Zan, Future-Max/Liz Parker, Isabel Evans/Alex Whitman, Liz Parker/Zan, Lonnie/Rath (Roswell TV), Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin, Maria DeLuca/Rath, Max Evans/Liz Parker, Max Evans/Liz Parker/Zan





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's Note:** This will be my first Roswell fanfic since roughly 2003. I am a little rusty with all the Roswellian terms, so please forgive me if my characters are very OOC (Out of Character). This first few part starts out a bit slow, but after, everything will speed up, I promise. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.  
> Based around the episodes "The End of the World" (2x05) and "Meet the Dupes" (2x08).
> 
> Alex is alive and well, and so is Nasedo.
> 
> There are lines/scenes taken from "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5). I am assuming the actual "The End of the World" episode occurred in October (since it was aired in that month), but I am switching the months and dates so it will work within the story.
> 
> _Originally posted on fanfiction.net on March 2, 2008 to November 17, 2009._
> 
> **03/09/2021 - Author's Note:** This was originally posted on fanfiction.net back in 2008-2009 and I never posted it on AO3. I'm adding it for record purposes since I am mainly on AO3 now. Please excuse any spelling, grammar, story continuity errors as well as poor writing; I wrote this many, many years ago when I was young and will not be editing it to my today's standards.

_'Cause you're working._   
_Building a mystery,  
Holding on and holding it in.  
Yeah, you're working.  
Building a mystery  
And choosing so carefully._

" **Building A Mystery," Sarah McLachlan**.

* * *

**2027, Friday.**

"This song goes out to Adia," said the rough voice of the host of the radio station.

Her eyes nearly fell out of her sockets. Her heart pounded in her ears. The radio seemed so far away from her when it was right in the cubicle over. God, it couldn't be!

"Adia," said the host, "you know who you are." Her eyebrows shot up in alarm and in question.

"Wherever you are, turn around," said the host.

Her forehead crinkled in confusion. Running her tongue across her suddenly tight bottom lip, still desperately gripping the table, she slowly stood up and turned around.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5).

_Tres das sin verte mi amor,  
Tres das llorando por ti,  
Tres das que miro el amanecer.  
Noms tres das te ame  
Y en tu mirar me perd  
y hace tres das que no s de ti  
Donde, dnde ests? 0  
Con quin me engaas?  
Donde, dnde ests?  
Qu ests haciendo?  
Tres das que no s  
qu es alimento  
Solo llorando me he podido consolar_

_Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay  
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay  
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay  
Tu amor me va a matar  
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay  
Yo qu voy a hacer  
Si me niegas alma ma tu querer?_

" **Tres Dias," Lupillo Rivera/Selena**.

**[Translation** :  
[If anyone knows the translation to this song,  
Please let me know so I can put it up here.  
Thanks!]

* * *

**November 24, 2000, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Future-Max felt himself being swallowed by the power of the granilith, trapping him inside, only to stare back out at his beautiful wife. He tearfully watched her as he felt his body rip and explode into billions of molecules. Before he disappeared, he placed his hand against the inside of the structure and whispered, "I love you" to his wife, not getting the chance to hear her say it back to him.

The next thing he knew before being torn away from the teary eyes of his wife, like in a split second, he was on his feet, crashing into a brick wall. Gasping at the sudden burst of pain from the impact, his eyes darted back and forth, trying to recognize where he was—Liz's balcony. What year is this? What month? Day? But all those questions left his mind when he saw something move in Liz's room. Walking towards the window and crouching down, he gasped at the sight in front of him. A young Liz Parker was wrapped in white lace, staring back at herself in the mirror, with a smile on her face.

"I, Liz Parker, take Max Evans to be my hus—"

"Liz," he gasped out, hating to break the silence of watching the younger version of his wife pretend she was marrying him.

Her petite figure tensed and turned around. _God, those eyes_ , thought Future-Max. He pushed the butterflies rumbling in his stomach away and proceeded to enter her room through the window. She was as beautiful as he remembered.

"Max?" she questioned, her eyes wide with fear. She clutched the lace cloth in her hands. Nothing but fear was etched on her face. Her forehead scrunched upwards in confusion.

He walked closer to her, his arm reaching out towards her. She stumbled back into her mirror, dropping the cloth to the ground. "No, no, I don't," she whispered out, trying to get away from this… this stranger!

"Liz, please. It's me," he pleaded. He kept walking closer to her.

"I don't know who you are, but you… you're _not_ Max!" she yelled.

He knew she would have a hard time believing this. Here he was, trying to convince level-headed brainy scientist Liz Parker that he was Max, only seventeen years older than the Max of her time. If he was her, he wouldn't believe himself either. It was hard enough for him to convince her he was an alien the day after she was shot. Frowning, he felt horrible that he was the one that had made her so scared. This wasn't going the way he had planned. Not that he had planned anything in the first place.

"Liz, I know this is all hard to believe, but you have to believe me. It's me."

"No, you can't be! You're not Max, okay? You—you're like a shapeshifter! You are some other kind of alien with the ability to look like Max with that beard and those… THOSE GREY HAIRS!" she cried, pointing at his hair.

His hand automatically rose to his head, touching his long hair. "Do you really see grey?" he questioned, forgetting the panic he was putting in Liz for a second. Had he aged that much in fourteen years from now? Liz stared at him with such disbelief.

"This isn't funny, okay?" she yelled.

As she tried to run towards the door, he grabbed and pushed her lightly against the door, trapping her with his body. He tried to keep his body's desires under control at the feeling of her in his arms.

"No! Let go of me!" she screamed.

"Liz, Liz, it's me. Look, it's me. I'm not a shapeshifter."

"No, no—"

"Liz, just listen. Please, just listen," he begged her. But she wouldn't listen. She kept struggling against him. Inside, he praised her for her feistiness. _Atta girl_ , he thought. He knew it would come handy in the future. No, it was now his past. Perhaps she wouldn't need to be this strong when things change. He pushed that feeling aside, along with the desire to ravage her at the feeling of her body pressing against his. How many times had he taken his wife, his Liz Parker, up against the door? How many times had she playfully struggled against him? How many times had he taken her?

"Liz, the granilith—LIZ!" he yelled, capturing her attention. She stopped and stared. "Listen. The granilith, it has an enormous amount of power. We were able to modify it to artificially create a tear in time space."

"WHAT? There's no such thing as time travel! It goes against every rule of physics, of reality, of everything!" she retorted.

His grip tightened on her as she tried to knee him, but he successfully blocked her by bringing his leg up. "Shit! Look Liz, I realize this is overwhelming, but I'm telling the truth. If I were a shapeshifter, there's no way I could tell the future," he said, licking his dry lips in nervousness. "In approximately 10 seconds, I will show up outside your window and begin singing to you," he gulped, "accompanied by a mariachi band."

Liz glared at him and scoffed. "A mariachi band," she said dumbly. "Max wouldn't do anything that cheesy."

"3… 2… 1…" he counted.

Nothing but absolute silence filled in the air.

"Well?" she questioned.

"I said approximately," said Future-Max as he cursed for his younger version to hurry up.

Then the sound of guitars filled the air, faintly at first but getting stronger by the second. Liz looked at her window, stunned. She heard the singing voices of Spanish men.

" _Tres dias sin verte mujer… tres dias llorando tu amor… tres dias que miro el amanecer_."

She looked at Future-Max with disbelief and he nodded. He let her go, cursing at himself for holding onto her so tightly. She slowly made her way towards the balcony and looked over the ledge, finding present-Max whipping off his hat and staring up at her lovingly. Future-Max walked onto the balcony, but carefully remained hidden.

"I spent a week learning the lyrics from Mr. Delgado at the hardware store," he said.

" _Nomas tres dias te ame… y en tu mirar me perdi… y hace tres dias que no se de ti_ ," sang present-Max.

Liz blushed at the sight of Max with three semi-chubby men behind him. "Wow, that's really embarrassing," she said with a chuckle.

" _Donde, donde estas, con quien me enganas? Donde, donde estas que estas hacienda?_ "

Future-Max smiled, recalling the lyrics in his head. "I know, but I had to do something to get your attention. You had shut me out." Though this was technically his past, he still remembered the pain of Liz not being around. How it had hurt him down to the very core of his soul. He remembered promising himself that he would do everything in his power to have her again, to never allow them to feel such pain again of being separated.

" _Tres dias que no sé que as alimento. Solo tomando me he podido consoloar._ "

Future-Max cursed at his feet that wanted to sway with the music. God, watching his past self singing to Liz made him want to laugh at himself. The things he did for her, they were ridiculous, but he didn't regret any. Present-Max revealed red roses behind his back and threw it up to Liz.

"As I threw the flowers up to you, I remembered you preferred white roses," said Future-Max.

Present-Max, using his powers, changed the color of the roses in mid-air. She caught them with a smile and burrowed her nose into them, taking in the sweet smell.

" _Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay_ ," sang present-Max as he tried to concentrate on singing the correct words all the while trying to impress Liz.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

" _Ay, ay, ay, ay. Ay, ay, ay, ay_."

"I can't tell you too much, Liz. Only what you need to know… but fourteen years from now, we are taken over by our enemies."

" _Ay, ay, ay, ay, tu amor me va a matar_."

Liz tried to concentrate on what this older man was telling him, but it was hard to concentrate when the love of her life was singing to her as if she was real-life Juliet Capulet and he was real-life Romeo Montague. "Uh, who's taken over?"

"Everyone. Earth. I need you to help me keep that from happening. We need to change the future. What we do here has to be precise and surgical. No one can know I'm here, especially not me… that is, my younger self."

" _Yo que voy hacer. Si me niegas alma mia tu querer._ "

"Uh, what is it you want me to—"

"Shh, not now. Your dad is coming," said Future-Max, quickly hiding behind a pot of plant.

Jeff Parker knocked on his daughter's door. "Lizzie? What the hell is going on out there? What is that ruckus?" he asked as he crawled through the window and walked to where Liz was. "Is that Max? It's 11:00. Tomorrow's a school day," he said, watching Max and his mariachi band walk away, singing.

" _Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay…_ "

Liz turned to her father, completely red-faced. She watched her father blink at Max and then turn to her. "Was that Max and a _mariachi band_?" he questioned. All Liz could do was laugh. Future-Max cupped his mouth, trying to swallow his laughter. She pushed her father out, apologizing. Closing the door, she turned around to find this… this future Max leaning against her desk.

"I…" Liz started, but she didn't know where to begin. "Okay, I have some questions." She watched him nod. "If you need Max to do something, why don't you just go to Max directly?"

"It's complicated… but if a person encounters himself in another time period, there could be a… a reaction," Future-Max said, rubbing his beard. _I need a shave_ , he thought to himself as he sat down on Liz's bed. Knowing Liz, this explanation could take a while. "I don't entirely understand it myself, but Serena said," he trailed off, noticing her raise her eyebrow. "She's going to be a friend of yours one day. It has something to do with quantum mechanics, but in essence, Max and I would both be destroyed if we actually came into contact."

Liz sat down on her bed, but kept her distance from him. Future-Max felt hurt. "Liz, what's about to happen over the next few days is critical to the history of this planet. Things between us are about to change… grow deeper. We become inseparable, and nothing comes between us ever again, until…"

"The end of the world?" Liz finished for him.

He tried not to smile at Liz's intelligence to pick up things quickly. "That's right. The closer that you and I grew, the worse it got with Tess, and eventually she left Roswell."

"Because of me?" asked Liz.

"Because of _me_ ," he said, knowing it hadn't sounded like a bad idea with Tess leaving town, "and how I treated her. And it turned out Tess was critical to our survival. The four of us—Michael, Isabel, Tess and I—we made a complete unit. We all had different gifts, and with one of us missing, we weren't as strong, and everything fell apart."

Liz tucked her bangs behind her ears and stared at the ground, avoiding his gaze. "So, um... you want me to help you and Tess get together? I mean, why don't you just go to Tess? Why me?"

Future-Max wiped his hands on his leather pants (not that it helped) and shifted closer to her. Liz turned towards him when she felt the bed dip towards her direction. She tried not to gasp when his hands cupped her face. He stared into her eyes as his face eased in closer to hers. At that moment, Liz truly believed everything he had told her because of his eyes. She'd recognize those eyes anywhere, those soulful eyes that screamed she was the sun that rose and set, those dark eyes that expressed how much he loved her. But there was something a little different about them. They were older and slightly colder.

"It's you I trust. It's you I have faith in, and because it's not just about getting me close to Tess. I need you to help me fall out of love with you."

She swallowed whatever there was to swallow in her dry mouth and leaned in. She watched as his lips parted and all Liz felt was the heavy breaths of Future-Max against her lips. In that moment, she swore he was going to kiss her, but he pulled away, turning away from her. He stared at the ground as if it was the most fascinating thing ever.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines from "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5).
> 
> Please pay attention to the dates because I will be jumping from dates in each chapter.

_Come to me now  
and lay your hands over me.  
Even if it's a lie,  
say it will be alright  
and I shall believe.  
I'm broken in two  
and I know you're on to me,  
that I only come home  
when I'm so all alone.  
But I do believe_

_That not everything is gonna be the way  
you think it ought to be.  
It seems like every time I try to make it right,  
it all comes down on me.  
Please say honestly you won't give up on me,  
and I shall believe,  
and I shall believe._

_Open the door  
and show me your face tonight.  
I know it's true  
no one heals me like you  
and you hold the key._

_Never again  
would I turn away from you.  
I'm so heavy tonight.  
But your love is alright  
and I do believe_

_That not everything is gonna be the way  
you think it ought to be.  
It seems like every time I try to make it right,  
it all comes down on me.  
Please say honestly you won't give up on me,  
and I shall believe.  
I shall believe,  
and I shall believe._

" **I Shall Believe," Sheryl Crow.**

* * *

**November 25, 2000, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz tried to get present-Max to fall out of love with her, but his love for her was strong, stronger than she had anticipated. She felt frustrated that her plans had failed, but at the same time, they excited her because no matter what test she had put Max through, he remained loyal to her. He truly loved her. But she knew what she had to do, for the sake of the world, for the sake of everyone's future. She told Tess some of Max's interests, trying to give her some conversation tips in making Max realize they had more in common than he thought. That backfired when Max caught sight of her, watching them from across the street. He strutted over, determined, leaving Tess behind, and began to tell her how much he loved her and that no matter what she did, he would love only her.

After Max left with the usual out-of-this-world kiss, she was yelled at by Future-Max. He unleashed his anger on her, reminding her exactly why he had come to the past, but she wasn't in the mood to listen, to be yelled at. Her feelings were overwhelmed by the kiss and by the fact that Future Max had told her earlier that they had gotten eloped at the tender age of nineteen at an Elvis chapel in Las Vegas.

Finally, she went to the extreme. She asked Kyle for his help: to lay together naked in her bed. Present-Max had stopped by to bring her to the Gomez concert, but saw them together in bed—completely naked, which meant only one thing to him: they slept together. All he could remember was seeing the creamy legs of Liz's peek out from underneath the blanket that had risen up. While Max stumbled backwards with tears that threatened to pour down, Future-Max stood in the bathroom. He had opposed to this idea the second Liz mentioned it. He wanted any other plan but this. But whenever Liz put her mind to something, it normally went through. She never did change that, not even in his time. He didn't need to see what was going on. He _felt_ it. These new feelings of present-Max's rushed over him, but they weren't new feelings to Future-Max. To him, they were feelings of the past that were being relived.

When present-Max took off, so did Kyle. Kyle didn't understand what was going on, but knowing that Liz needed his help and this was her secret, he didn't question her. Liz heard a bunch of nonsense spew out of Kyle's mouth and she figured it had something to do with his new found religion: Buddhism. After Kyle left, Future-Max came out of the bathroom just in time to see Liz wrap the towel around her naked body. He growled at the sight of her creamy skin and went straight back into the bathroom, trying to calm down the tent that bulged out of his leather pants. It didn't help that this was his second time trying to calm the _monster_ down when Liz was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in nothing but a towel. He had taken the time to admire the soft milky skin of her back and how her silky hair fell over her shoulders. He felt guilty for feeling this way. "Get a grip on yourself, Evans," he hissed at himself. This wasn't his wife. She may have looked like her and they may have the same personality—hell, in essence, they were the same, but she wasn't his timeline. And he was so much older than this Liz. He felt almost as if he was cheating on his wife with herself. God, all he could remember was how innocent Liz was in his timeline during this moment. How she clung to him when they first cemented, whispering nothing but her love into his ear as he took her over and over again gently.

He completely avoided Liz the entire evening until later that night when he found her sitting on her lawn chair on the balcony, staring up at the sky. He sat down at the end of the chair. "I've fought a thousand battles… but watching you do that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said. It had nearly torn out his heart that he made Liz go through that, that he—his past-self—went through that.

Liz bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the tears. "The look on his face," she whispered. "The look on _your_ face!"

Future-Max didn't want to say what he was going to say next, but he had to for the sake of Liz's happiness after he put her through so much pain already. "Maybe it's for the best. For you, I mean."

"What do you mean? I'm going to be alone now."

"No, I saw you with Kyle. He's turning out to be a," he forced out, "a great guy. Maybe it would be better for you to be with a human."

Liz rolled her eyes, wiped away her tears, and moved closer to him. She lifted her hand up towards his rough cheek and forced him to look at her. "Don't you realize what you are to me? And what you're always going to be? You're the love of my life. Everyone is going to be second best," she said. "There'll never be another you."

He tried to fight back the tears that developed. He stood up and held his hand out towards her. Liz tilted her head in curiosity. "From now on, the future is to be determined. It's what I've always said to you, Liz. We create our own destiny. But… but before our destiny comes, before anything else changes, I want… I want to give you your wedding dance."

She smiled and took his hand. He spun her once as she got up from the chair and held her in his arms. She sighed while his hands dropped to her waist. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her soft cheek against his rough stumbled cheek. The scratching of the shadow on his jaw sent shivers down her spine.

"Did you know our wedding song was 'I Shall Believe'?" he breathed into her ear as their feet danced gracefully on the cement ground.

"That's my favorite song!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"I know," he said, burrowing his nose into her hair. God, she smelled like his Liz. She felt like his Liz. In this moment, she _was_ his Liz.

As they slowly danced, swaying back and forth, spinning one another, he sang softly into her ear: " _Even if it's a lie, say it will be alright, and I shall believe_."

She sang right back: " _I know it's true, no one heals me like you, and you hold the key_."

They turned towards each other. In Future-Max's eyes, this was his Liz, just only younger and pure. In Liz's eyes, this was her Max, just only older with his battle scars. Their love for each other was just as strong. In this moment, it didn't matter to them that they were from different time dimensions or that their age difference was great. For Max and Liz, no matter what timeline or lifetime, there was one thing they both know they will never be able to resist—and that's each other.

Liz's eyes fluttered close as her fingers played with his long hair. Feeling her fingers dance from his hair and to his neck and seeing her pouty lips part, he growled and captured her lips. She tasted of strawberries—exactly how he had remembered her. She moaned, tightening her arms around him, clinging to him like he was her lifeline in the vast open sea. He kissed her roughly and all she could do was hold on, trying to match his passion. He pulled her hips closer to his, unconsciously grinding into her. Liz gasped as she felt the hard bulge against her thigh.

She broke the kiss and led him into her room. "Liz," he choked out. She saw he was fighting for control and she smiled. He was just like her Max. No, he _was_ her Max, just later down the road of life.

"Shhh, just let go," she whispered against his lips, snaking her tongue out to lick his bottom lip. "Please, I may never get the chance to… to be with you. Please," she whispered as she pressed herself against his chest.

Once he felt her soft breasts press against his own hard chest, he groaned, unable to control himself. His hand flew to the back of her neck and crushed his lips to hers once more. All she could do was open her mouth when she felt his tongue force his way into her mouth. Their tongues dueled against each other until they couldn't breathe. They savored each other's taste like they had not eaten in days. They searched for every crevice, trying to get under each other's skin just by kissing. Out of breath, Liz pushed him down to her bed, catching him by surprise. Feeling nothing but love, she laid on top of him. His hand quickly travelled down from the curve of her breast, down her hip, and cupped her ass, pushing her heat closer to his.

They made love to each other's mouths as they stripped their clothing off of each other. Liz ran her fingers down the impressive abs Max had. She knew present-Max had a great body, but apparently as he got older, his body became even more toned, more ripped. The muscles under her fingers tensed and then relaxed. Her fingers danced across his arms, down his chest, and followed the light trail of hair that led her to what made Max Evans purely a man.

He broke the kiss and rolled on top of her. His heart skipped a beat at the sight before him. Her lips were swollen, cheeks flushed, with her hair fanned out on her pillow. She was beautiful. She was like an angel that craved for his touch and only his touch. Her breasts rose and fell as she breathed heavily. Her nipples were dark and hard, jutting out as if they were calling for him. He closed his eyes, fighting this. "Liz, we can't."

"We can," she whispered.

"This is wrong."

"Please," she pleaded, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you." She licked the outer shell of his ear, nipped at his jaw, and began planting kisses all his neck.

Groaning, he knew he could not fight her. Not when her supple body was under his. Not when her mouth was discovering his body. Not when she was begging him. Not when she told him that she loved him. He whispered, "I love you too," before re-capturing her lips once again.

He explored her body till there was not a span of skin that was left untouched. He brought her to an orgasm with his talented tongue and fingers. Allowing her to collect herself, he hissed as her lips came into contact with every scar on his body. She pressed her lips against the puckered skin, caressing each one with her tongue as if she wanted to heal them away with her kiss. He felt warm and hard on top of her. His scent was everywhere just like hers was on him. He felt her nudge her heat against his penis. Losing all restraint he had left, he slowly slid into her, claiming her as his. All the guilt he felt about taking this Liz's innocence away vanished. It was in her warmth, it was until he was inside of her, that he felt like he was home. As they moved together nervously at first and then with impatience, they fell into ecstasy together.


	4. Chapter 3

_It doesn't mean much.  
It doesn't mean anything at all.  
The life I've left behind me is a cold room.  
I've crossed the last line from where I can't return,  
where every step I took in faith betrayed me,  
and led me from my home.  
And sweet,  
sweet surrender  
is all that I have to give._

" **Sweet Surrender," Sarah McLachlan.**

* * *

**December 1, 2000, Friday; New York City.**

Sighing and rubbing her hands against her red cheeks, Liz Parker cursed at her stupidity for wearing such a light jacket. She could've sworn it was thicker when she had felt it the first time when purchasing, but now it felt worn down to the very last layer of threads. " _Ahhhh_ ," she breathed out as the wind seeped through the strands of her wool jacket and made contact with the skin of her stomach. It was a windy night with a cloud or two and the moon shone brightly in the sky, but not as bright as when she saw it from _home_.

Digging her hands in her pockets, she jingled the coins in her pocket, estimating how much she had by the sound. She walked into the nearest diner that reminded her of the painting, "Nighthawks," by Edward Hopper. It was a small run-down diner with yellow walls, but it had such a cozy feeling that made her feel at ease. The bell on top of the door rang as the door closed behind her. Looking around, she noticed it was pretty much empty, except for the waitress behind the counter, a scruffy-looking elderly sitting in one of the booths, and the cook waiting for his shift to end. She sat down by the counters in the high chairs and rubbed her hands together.

"What can I get 'cha?" said the blonde waitress as she smacked the gum lazily in her mouth.

"Coffee, please," replied Liz. She reached into her pocket and dropped the coins onto the table. Scattering the coins, she proceeded to sum the total up to pay the coffee. The waitress watched her with a raised eyebrow and gave her a look mixed of disgust and pity. Liz pushed the coins towards her and picked off the lint that came from her jean pocket that was wrapped around one of the coins.

Taking the coins, the waitress pulled a plate from behind the counter and set the cup on top of it. Pouring coffee into it, she slid the plate to Liz. Hastily grabbing it, she sighed at the sudden warmth in her hands. Taking a quick sip and burning her tongue, Liz closed her eyes and smiled. The steamy goodness travelled down her throat and into her stomach, leaving her an odd feeling of warmth that was surrounded by the coolness of her stomach muscles—she knew that was impossible, but it felt that way. Yawning, she drank the coffee as much as her mouth could tolerate. Closing her eyes, she let the aromas fill her senses—a hint of lemon from the cleaning products, the smell of greasy food from the burgers and french fries, and coffee.

Liz let her head drop low. Her purple-streaked bobbed hair created a curtain around her face. She let the steam from her cup coat her face. " _Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock,_ " said the clock. The seconds turned into minutes. Time ticked away, starting innocently at midnight and rushed to 1:30am in a matter of seconds. How long had it been since she had a proper night's sleep? How long had it been since she was a hundred percent warm? How long had it been since she was in one place for longer than an hour? She frowned as her stomach rumbled. She didn't have enough money for food. Heck, she didn't have enough for one more cup of coffee. Feeling herself dozing off, Liz struggled to keep her eyes opened. The coffee didn't help keep her awake, but only provided warmth. Giving in, she let her head rest on top of her arms.

"Hey, no sleeping here!" squawked the waitress as she tapped the table next to Liz's head. Liz groaned and began to lift her head, mumbling an apology.

"Yo lady, leave 'er alone. She wiped out aite?" said a deep scratchy voice.

Her eyes snapped open as the hairs on her neck rose. Raising her head, she turned towards the voice. When and how did he get there? Why hadn't she heard him? Hell, the bell on the door didn't even ring!

"You're—You're—" she stuttered.

"A lil spaceship told me you's lookin' for meh," he replied with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I was—," Liz sighed as she fought to get the words out. "I was hoping. I wasn't sure if you were even still—"

"Why you's lookin' for me?" he growled.

"I need your help."

"Word?"

"The royal four, they need your help."

"I dunno whatcha talkin' 'bout."

Liz scoffed. "Well, the tattoo on your arm tells me differently," she said with great amusement. Her hand, having a life of its own, slowly traced the four square tattoo with her fingers. He moved away from her as if she burned him. "Anyway, the usual saying is 'a little birdie told me,' not 'a little spaceship'," she said humorously with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh, you's so smart now, eh?"

"Smarter than you," she retorted.

"Listen lady, I dunno what yer trippin' on, but no one talks to me dat way!"

With a smile, she extended her hand out into his direction. "Liz. I'm Liz Parker."

Feeling compelled as if he knew her from a past life (and the fact that she intrigued him so), he stared at her tiny hand curiously before grabbing it with his larger own. "Zan."


	5. Chapter 4

_… See, she's my type of hype and I can't stand when brothers tell me  
that I should quit chasin' and look for something better,  
but the smile that she shows makes me a go-getter.  
I haven't gone as far as asking if I could get with her.  
I just play it by ear and hope she gets the picture.  
I'm shootin' for her heart, got my finger on the trigger.  
She could be my broad, and I could be her (nigga),  
but all I can do is stare..._

_… Now she's more sophisticated, highly edu-ma-cated.  
Not at all over-rated, I think I need a prayer  
to get in her boots and it looks rather dr.  
I guess a twinkle in her eye is just a twinkle in her eye.  
Although she's crazy steppin', I'll try to stop her stride  
'cause I won't have no more of this passin' me by._

_And I must voice my opinion of not even pretending she didn't have me.  
Strung like a chicken, chase my tail like a doggie.  
She was kind of like a star, thinking I was like a fan.  
Dude, she looked good, down side: she had a man.  
He was a rooty-toot, a nincompoop.  
She told me soon your little birdies gonna fly the coop.  
She was a flake like corn and I was born not to understand.  
By lettin' her pass, I had proved to be a better man._

_She keeps on passin me by..._

**"Passing Me By," The Pharcyde.**

* * *

**December 3, 2000, Sunday; New York City.**

Elizabeth Parker had spent a full week in search of Zan. She had gone to social services in hopes that he was in the system when he was a child, but he wasn't. Neither was the rest of his pod squad. She had literally travelled across time for him. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if he was alive. She had only recalled overhearing Max's protector, Cal Langley, say that there was a duplicate set of the royal four that had been sent to New York. But with the war that had broken out on Earth, the duplicates were the last thing on everyone's mind.

On her time plane, she and Max had eloped at the young age of nineteen at the Elvis chapel in Las Vegas. Because of their love, Tess Harding—the fourth alien—left town and betrayed them all by joining Khivar's side. Khivar—the reason why Antar was destroyed in the first place and why the royal four had to be cloned and sent to Earth—had landed on Earth with two goals: to kill the royal four and to take over the planet. Within the first few months, it was a struggle. The royal three's powers were no match for Khivar's because they were Halflings—clones that had both human and alien DNA mixed (just only with a little more alien). They were not pure alien, resulting in them having only half the amount of power they would have had if they were completely alien.

Then one day, the group had made a plan to infiltrate Khivar's base, but their plan backfired. Isabel was the first to be killed. Khivar, feeling betrayed that the clone of his past-lover turned against him, only hissed her Antarian name at her—" _Vilandra_ "—and sent a surge of energy at her chest. She was killed on impact. Michael was next. Tess Harding had swallowed him with her flames. When the fire died out, there was nothing left of Michael but scorched marks on the floor. Khivar's soldiers had come after Alex, Kyle, Jim, Maria, and Serena, and they were killed instantly. Max and Liz barely escaped (but not unscathed) and took the opportunity to go to the granilith. With Serena's help earlier, they were able to modify the granilith to be a time machine. Max knew what he had to do to save everyone, to prevent anyone from dying—he had to go back to the past to stop their marriage, to stop them from being together. As much as it had pained both Max and Liz to stop their future together, they knew it was the only thing they could do. It had all gone downhill because of their relationship. So Max left.

Liz was left in the cave by herself, staring at the cone. She had felt so alone and so cold. She could hear the blasts from outside and the screams of people dying. They were coming for her. "Max," she whimpered. He had only been beside her a few moments ago and then inside the structure, and now he was gone. She was alone and the granilith was empty inside. Feeling the cave rumble, she let out a cry in fear and in pain, afraid of what was coming for her. Max was now in a place before the war, where everything was peaceful, and she was stuck in the warzone alone. They would come for her and kill her like a mangy dog, and Max was alive, stopping their past from being together. Reaching her shaky hand out towards the cone, she pressed her palm against the cool metal. This machine was all that she had left of her love. Ready to say goodbye, she gasped. Unable to prevent it, the images flooded her mind.

**Flash** : _Kyle and Liz are in bed together, naked. Max is standing by the window, staring down at them in surprise and grief._

**Flash** : _Max and Tess are having sex by the granilith._

**Flash** : _Jim walks up to Maria and Liz. He takes off his hat and sadly says, "There's been an accident. Alex is dead._ "

**Flash** : _A man hands Liz a receipt that had 11100100100111011001 written on it._

" _I thought it was weird how he signed it. Does that mean anything to you?" he asks._

 _Liz whispers, "It means I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep…_ "

**Flash** : _Tess and Kyle are in his room._

" _Kyle, can you help me carry this duffel bag out?" she asks sweetly._

" _Sure," he answers, but in reality, he is carrying Alex's dead body._

**Flash** : _"I didn't mean to. His brain was so weakened by the mindwarp. Look, none of this matters now. The time is almost up," says Tess._

" _Life matters, Tess! My life, your life, his!" yells Max._

_She yells back, "What matters is getting home, but you could never understand that, could you? I might have been able to teach you, but that stupid bitch had you wrapped around her—"_

_Max raises his hand to her face._

" _What are you going to do, Max? Kill me? Look at how fast you run to her defense. Why couldn't you ever feel that way about me? I'm your wife, Max! I'm carrying your child!" screams Tess._

As quickly as she had found herself attacked by the visual flashes, Liz found herself back in the cave with her hand clutching to her chest. What in hell? Alex was dead? Tess still betrayed them? Max and Tess had a child? "Oh god," she whispered to herself. Ever since Max had healed her, her body changed. She became part alien. One of her powers was blowing up things like Michael had, dream-walking like Isabel (though this power wasn't successful all the time), and the other power where she could see the future. But this sudden premonition wasn't her future, not on her time plane, and she didn't understand what was going on. All she knew was her Max going back to change the future was wrong. People still died there. Then she knew what she had to do—she had to go back to the past and find another way to change it.

That's how she found herself in New York. She honestly hadn't even been thinking about coming here, but the granilith had sent her here. It wasn't until she saw the subway map of New York City did she remember about the duplicates. She had absolutely nothing to lead her to Zan, except for half of the Antarian necklace that Max had given to her before he left her. They had broken it in half so each could wear it—Max had the left while Liz had the right. She tried to call out to him and dream-walk him from the other time plane, but she didn't have a connection with him. So she did what she had to—she went to Kinko's, made copies of the necklace (she flipped the image of the necklace so they looked as if they were one), and posted flyers that said "Found necklace. Reward: Your past." She knew it was dangerous for she didn't know how many aliens were roaming the planet, but it was the last resort.

And it worked. Two days ago, he hunted her down. She explained what happened to the Earth in her time and what she saw was going to happen to Earth if she didn't try to fix things. But Zan wasn't easy to convince, not that she wasn't surprised. As he took her to his home, he told her his story, but only because Liz kept hounding him question after question. The four were born in pods placed in the dark and gritty abandoned subway stations. Their protector was either dead or had abandoned them—they hadn't bothered to find out. So being at their birth place, the royal four grew up in the subway tunnels, now currently drifting from the abandoned station of City Hall and Worth Street (both on the East Side line). They used their powers to steal so they could clothe and feed themselves. They didn't have parents like her royal four had. They never went to school, only reading what they could from the books they stole from libraries or newspaper stands, or what they saw in the movies. They grew up on the streets, only relying on each other. On normal days (before she came along), they mostly sat around, graffitiing the walls, stealing, skateboarding, and causing as much fun (or trouble in her eyes) as they could.

After much hounding for the biography of Zan earlier, she explained her story to the duplicates of how she came to the future to find them, to ask them for their help, but she was less than welcomed with open arms. Lonnie, the Isabel-look-alike, used her powers to lift Liz into the air against a wall, threatening to squeeze the oxygen out of her. Rath, the Michael-look-alike, pitched in only to ask if he could fuck her before Lonnie killed her. Ava, the Tess-look-alike, remained quiet, sitting on the sofa as if she was still deciding whether Liz was trust-worthy or not. Zan, the Max-look-alike, was the one that stopped Lonnie from snapping her neck.

"Lon', don't. I believe her," he said.

"Ya believe dis bitch? Com'on Zan, no one eva came for us. What makes ya dink we so important now? We trash," Rath said.

"Bro, listen to Rath. He's right. Why now? Jus' 'cause she say a bunch of scrubby peeps from da hood need our help? She just gonna use us and den dump us aftah da deed's done. Worse, she may turn us in to da enemy," said Lonnie.

"I'm da man. Don't forget dat. NOW PUT 'ER DOWN!" growled Zan, using his authoritative voice.

Lonnie dropped her hand, resulting in Liz dropping to the ground with a crash. Ignoring the explosive pain of her gluteus maximus, she placed her hand on her neck, trying to breathe. While she was thankful for the sudden oxygen that filled her lungs, she snickered inside because Zan, being a leader, sounded exactly like her Max when he argued with Michael. Some things don't change, she guessed.

"You's better not be lettin' yer dick talk, bro," said Lonnie as the royal three left the room.

Zan hovered over Liz. He helped her up and ran his hand over her body to make sure nothing was broken. She watched as the glow travel throughout her body. Liz snickered again, but only this time, the laugh left her mouth. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing. You're just like Max," she said with a smile. But the smile didn't remain on her face for long. The next thing she knew, she was pushed up against the wall by Zan with his hand wrapped around her neck. _God, what was with people and neck-grabbing?_ , she thought as she struggled against him.

"Ya hear me clear," he spat out. "I ain't nothin' like yer boy, Max. I ain't nothin' like him, so don't go confusin' him and me as da same person. I'll kill ya in a second if I hafta. The only reason you's still standin' is I believe yer sorry ass needs mah help in savin' the goddamn fuckin' world. I'm all 'bout da violence, but not on da innocent."

All she could do was nod fearfully. Zan tried to calm his breathing down, but he couldn't. It wasn't the anger that made him out of breath. It was something else. The skin on her neck felt soft under his calloused hand. He could feel her windpipe vibrate against his palm. She wasn't wearing much—a wool jacket that looked as if she picked it up from the Salvation Army, leather pants that seemed to hug her small round ass and a black tank top that made her breasts look as if they would spill out if she moved the wrong way. She was petite when compared to his size, but she would come right under his chin if he held her. He was a man, of course. Any man would find this woman to be attractive, but there was something about her that was so… mature yet innocent. Something he had never seen in the other women he's had before.

Then something in Zan's eyes flickered. Liz noticed his eyes had darkened and she knew what that meant. He _was_ like Max in more ways than he knew. Max always had that same look whenever he— Then his lips crushed hers, but she didn't respond until he cupped her bottom and gave it a squeeze. She gasped at the sudden pressure and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She felt the cool metal ball drag against her tongue as he ravaged her. He bit at her lower lip, tugging on it with his teeth before recapturing her lips. In mid-groan, she thought he tasted just like her Max. Then she froze. He wasn't _her_ Max. He was his doppelganger. In fact, he was some stranger that just simply had her husband's face. Coming to her senses, she pushed him away.

"Don't! You say you're nothing like Max, then don't do that again," she growled, before walking off to the bathroom. She didn't even bother to look back at Zan's reaction.

Once the door shut, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed and her lips looked like they were stung by bees. Ignoring the slight ache between her legs, she turned on the water and splashed the cold water against her warm cheeks. When she looked up, she could barely recognize herself. She knew he wasn't her Max. They looked the same physically and may have some similar personality traits, but they were different. Her Max was gentle and calm while this one was rough and wild—dangerous, even. Cursing silently, she let go of the sink that she had been death-gripping.

"Get a hold of yourself, Parker," she hissed at herself.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Sexual Healing" (Season 1, Episode 15).
> 
> Originally, I planned on Chapter 2 being Future-Max's last appearance, but seeing as I could not bear to see him go so soon, I belted out one more chapter. Here is his real final appearance in the story.
> 
> Note the date has jumped back.

_Go on and close the curtains  
'cause all we need is candlelight.  
You and me, and the bottle of wine,  
Going to hold you tonight._

_Well, we know I'm going away  
and how I wish, I wish it weren't so.  
So take this wine and drink with me.  
Let's delay our misery..._

_Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn.  
Come tomorrow.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_There's a log on the fire  
and it burns like me for you.  
Tomorrow comes with one desire:  
to take me away… It's true._

_It ain't easy to say goodbye.  
Darling please, don't start to cry  
'cause girl you know I've got to go  
Lord I wish it wasn't so._

_Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn.  
Come tomorrow.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Tomorrow comes to take me away.  
I wish that I, that I could stay,  
but girl you know I've got to go, oh  
and Lord I wish it wasn't so._

_Save tonight.  
Fight the break of dawn.  
Come tomorrow.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Tomorrow I'll be gone.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone.  
Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight  
(till the end).  
Save tonight  
(till the end).  
Oh yeah, that's right.  
Save tonight  
(till the end)._

" **Save Tonight," Eagle Eye Cherry**.

* * *

**November 26, 2000, Sunday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

As Liz rested next to the warm sleeping body, she couldn't help but notice how young Future-Max looked, even with the white hairs gracing his luscious head of hair and even if he was 31 years old (compared to her age of 17). Despite the battle scars on his body and how thin he had become, he still looked perfect to her. With a smile on her lips, she planted a kiss on his arm. Her tongue peeked out to taste the saltiness of his skin.

**Flashback** : _Trailing her fingers down Future-Max's back as she sat on his back, she tried to memorize each ripple his muscles made, each puckered skin marring this beauty, and each freckle that spanned across his body. She could feel him squirm underneath her but she was determined to burn the very image of him into the back of her mind so she would never forget. She wanted to know him both physically and emotionally so if she wanted to, she could paint him on a blank canvas. She wanted this memory to last for lifetimes. She kissed each scar, hoping it would disappear under her tongue. She wanted to heal them, to make them go away, to make him forget what he went through in his past life, but she could not. She was only human._

_"I can't make them go away," she said softly, disappointed as she traced the one large scar that trailed from the middle of his back down to just where his buttocks began._

_Future-Max turned over and tried to avoid brushing his hard cock against her center. She drove him mad with desire when he felt her hand resting on one of his butt cheeks. One of his arms wrapped around her tiny waist while the other reached under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Liz, you're healing me. No, you did heal me. You can't see it. It's on the inside," he said, repeating the similar words he had once said to his wife when they first had almost slept together in Michael's apartment. Sitting up with Liz on his lap, he nipped at her jaw and captured her lips._

Liz had never felt such passion in her life before. Granted, she never had sex before either. But this… She finally understood what her mother had meant when she said: " _Once you enter that world of sexual intimacy, everything changes._ " Everything did change. This act they shared together, it was more than words could describe. It was soul-consuming, mind-boggling, and explosive, but even those words couldn't come close to what she felt. It was as if this ache had always been inside her and was awakened last night, and then finally taken away.

Before her Max Evans came crashing into her world, healing her on that faithful day, she never knew what true love was. She was dating Kyle at the time, but Kyle was just… He was someone there. He didn't stir the same feelings as Max did. He was the guy that all girls wanted to date—Sheriff's son, Captain of the Football team, jock, and not a bad looker either. But hell, he couldn't even compare to Max Evans. Max was intelligent, the most kindest and caring person in the world, and he had these soulful eyes that she could just get lost in for days. In fact, Max risked everything to save her life, even when they were never really friends outside of school. Ever since their first kiss on her balcony during that awful heat wave, Liz Parker knew she could never go back, that Max had ruined all potential men in her future for they could not come close to him at all. Not that she wanted any other man. She wanted only Max, but because Max had a destiny, because he was the King to his planet, they were never able to be together for long.

With that first kiss, sex had plagued her mind. If one single kiss from her Max could turn her legs into jello, what would happen if they made love? Would she die from overload? Not to mention, would she die from having sex with an alien? But now here she was: lying next to Max—not her Max, but a future Max—and still quite alive. In fact, she never felt so alive in her whole life before. It felt like she could feel everything's presence. She was more sensitive, more in tuned with everything in the world. And it was all thanks to Future-Max because she knew she could never be with her Max intimately like this. Not if she wanted Future-Max's life to not take place in her lifetime.

She glanced over at the clock. It read 2am. The day had barely just begun, but all was still asleep. Stretching lazily, she laughed silently to herself. She couldn't sleep. Not after what they did just a few hours ago. Her body tingled at the thought of his hands moving across her body. Tucking herself under his arm, she buried her nose into his long hair and took in his scent.

**Flashback** : _"This is wrong," Future-Max said, trying to move away from Liz who was under him._

_Not wanting him to leave, she quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulder and brought his body back down on hers. "Please," she pleaded. She was a virgin and had no idea what she was doing, but she knew she wanted this. She wanted to give her body, her soul to the one man she would forever love. Licking the outer shell of his ear, her lips travelled down to his jaw and finally to his neck. "I love you," she murmured against his adam's apple. She felt his throat vibrate as a growl escaped his lips._

_How could he resist her? If anyone ever wanted to bring King Maxwell Zan Evans down, all they had to do was dangle Liz Parker in front of his face and he would quickly fall. She was his weakness and it was proven to him on that day he was captured in the White Room. Quickly soundproofing the room with his powers, he said, "I love you too" against her lip and he stole the air out of her lungs when his lips descended on top of hers. She was naked underneath him and she felt wonderful. She was soft against his calloused hands. She was smooth as silk and seemed too good to be real. Her lips tasted of strawberries and vanilla. He couldn't get enough of her. She was so responsive to his actions. His hand fell from her hair, slid down to her hip, and then with a graze, he cupped her breast in his hand. She sighed as he began to softly knead the mound. "You're so beautiful, Liz. So beautiful," he whispered, dropping his lips to where his hand was. Nipping against the sides of the soft flesh, he lured the nipple into his mouth and ran his tongue up the tip of her nipple before swirling it in its entirety._

_"Max," Liz moaned as she felt the almost-burning heat of his mouth on her breast. His tongue repeated the action and then he sucked on it. She bucked against him as a shot of aching pain travelled down to her core. "Oh god," she groaned as her legs suddenly tried to close together. But Future-Max's hands stopped her and parted them wider. He rested in between her legs, letting his penis brush against the inside of her leg. The ache—it grew bigger and Liz didn't know what to do. She wanted to relieve it. She wanted something but she didn't know what. She could feel herself grow wetter down there._

_He detached himself from her chest and slid down. He knew what she wanted. He knew what she craved for, what she needed him to do. With his wife, he had always slowly teased her till she couldn't handle it anymore. He knew how sensitive her nipples were and he would often bring her to an unexpected orgasm that way. He had many times made sweet and slow love to his wife. Then there were times when foreplay was forgotten and they just needed to join their bodies as soon as possible. But tonight and in this life, this Liz was a virgin. He would go slowly with her, even if it took all ounce of control in him to not just bury himself deep inside of her. He would show her exactly how much he loved her—in this lifetime and in his past life._

_Dragging his lips down to her stomach with his tongue dipping into her belly button, he was welcomed with the sight of Liz's womanhood in front of him. He could smell her. He knew the scent of her was something he could never get enough and from the way it glistened at him, he knew how much she was turned on. "Max," she said, trying to push him away, embarrassed. "Don't, I don't—"_

_He only held her legs further apart and remained where he was. "It's alright. You're beautiful. Every single part of you—you're so beautiful and I can't not taste you." Parting her folds, his tongue snaked out and licked the full length of her. Her body arched off the bed and her hands grasped at his hair. God, he didn't know how he had controlled himself around Liz when they were teenagers. They had come a long way from making out in his jeep in the desert. His tongue dipped back, finding the small nub. He flicked at it and smiled against her core as she let out a small yelp._

_The things Future-Max was doing to her, she couldn't breathe and think rationally. She never liked the idea of a guy going down on her. In fact, she didn't want anyone to ever go down on her. But when she felt him begin to eat her out, all thoughts of protest flew out of her mind. He gathered her wetness and took it all in, dipping his tongue into her slit, trying to draw out more. She could feel his tongue against the outer parts of her walls. It was like nothing she could describe. She could feel something building inside her. With each second that passed, it grew and grew. A plethora of pleasure, that's what it was._

_His mouth enclosed around her core, licking and sucking at whatever she offered him. He slowly dipped an inch of his finger inside of her as he found her clit in his mouth. He began to thrust only a few inches of his finger in and out of her slowly as he ate her out. He wanted her to adjust to the new feeling of something inside her. Liz licked her dry lips, trying to take in as much air as possible. He knew she was so close. The ache between her legs grew at the same time it was being satisfied. Her body felt torn. It felt like her body didn't know what to feel or how to handle what she was feeling. She bit her lower lip and held him down by his hair, never wanting him to leave. Wrapping his lips around her clit, he sucked on it hard. Her body began to tremble and moments later, she threw her head back as her first orgasm took her body._

_He licked his wet lips, appreciating the taste of Liz on them. He crawled back up to her body and stared into the face of a panting and close-eyed Liz. Her hand flew into her hair and a small gasping laugh erupted from her. "That was… Oh my god, that was… It was so…."_

" _Intense? Amazing?" he finished for her._

" _I never, in my life, thought I would feel something like that!"_

" _Don't worry. You'll feel plenty more. The night is still young and I am not done with you yet," he growled into her ear._

Liz tried to bury her giggle into his arm as Future-Max snored lightly. He was so exhausted from last night. After he took her and then healed away any pain, she wanted more right after. She was insatiable. He had opened a whole new world for her and she never wanted to leave it. If she had a choice, she'd stay in bed with Max forever, doing nothing but make love all day long. His arm tightened around her as his snoring ceased. Peeking one half-opened eye at her, he smiled when he saw Liz's beaming face.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, his voice deeper than normal from sleep.

"Good morning," she meekly said, shivering at his voice. Suddenly she yelped as she was flipped over onto her chest. Future-Max held her down and began to plant open-mouthed kisses from the back of her neck and dragged them down to her lower back. Liz giggled at the tickling sensation. "Max!"

**Flashback** : _Resting on his arms, Future-Max let out a husky groan as Liz's hands found their way to his ass cheeks, cupped them, and forced her to rest his full weight on top of her. "Liz, I'll crush you," he said._

_She shook her head. "No, I want to feel you. I want to feel all of you." She spread her legs further apart, interested at the organ that was mischievously twitching against her as if it wanted to jump inside of her. Her hand dropped down and wrapped around the full length of him. He hissed as her small hand grabbed at him. She adjusted her body so the tip of him found her entrance. It was thicker and longer than his finger. In fact, she knew Max was possibly the biggest she'd ever seen (thanks to Maria and her internet pornographic adventures). She was afraid while intrigued at the same time. "Please, I need you," she pleaded. The burning had come back again and this time, even his mouth and fingers couldn't relieve it._

_Closing his eyes, he could feel the soft puff of breaths from Liz against his face. Those four words… She had no idea what they did to him. He kissed her softly, not wanting to rush anything. One hand rested beside Liz's head while the other travelled down to connect them together._

"You feel so good," Future-Max panted against Liz's neck. He held her hips down, stopping her from trying to thrust herself more on top of his penis. He wanted to control this. He wanted to see her lose control. He slowly, very slowly, slid back into her. It was too slow for comfort, but boy did it prolong the pleasurable trembles that Liz felt. He could see his penis disappear into her dark glistening curls. The feeling of her tight walls enclosing around him nearly sent him to the edge. His hands pushed her body deeper into the bed as he withdrew and pushed back in.

Her hands gripped at his arms and then found their way into his long hair as she desperately tried to get him to thrust into her harder and faster. "Max, please, I can't—I can't take this," she said, burying the side of her face into her pillow. He smiled down upon her, enjoying the sight of her body stretched out underneath him. He took one nipple into her mouth and quickly slammed himself into her. Her body arched off the bed, pushing her breast into his face. He gave attention to the other mound and withdrew slowly until it was only his tip left inside of her only to surge back into her. She let out a cry as the sound of their bodies roughly smacking each other bounced off the walls of the room.

**Flashback** : _After the pain had slowly begun to disappear, Liz wrapped her legs around Future-Max's waist, welcoming his quick and powerful thrusts. His lower body pounded into her like there was no tomorrow. She was so tight, too tight. He couldn't get enough. Bracing his arms on the sides of Liz's head and burying what his fingers could reach of her hair, he unleashed the monster inside of him and took her as fast and as deep as he could. He wanted to hear her cry out his name. He wanted her to sob with nothing but pleasure. He wanted her to feel what no man could ever give her._

_She clung onto his muscular arms, crying out with each impact. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She could only feel. It was nothing like she had ever felt before. A part of Max was literally inside of her. The thought of this turned her on even more. She could feel herself grow wetter as his organ grew harder inside of her. His chest roughly grinded against her hard nipples. It was too much. She couldn't handle it all. Biting her lower lip and tugging on his long hair, she let out a cry of both pleasure and distress._

_Future-Max plucked her lower lip from her teeth with his finger. "Don't do that. If you want to bite your lip, then let me," he said huskily. He then took her lips with his and bit her lower lip, not releasing it till he was satisfy it would bruise. He repeated this action till he forget all about it as he became solely focused on bringing Liz and him to a state of ecstasy._

Future-Max grunted as her walls fluttered around him. She was so close. He was so close. Her legs unconsciously wrapped around him, trying to force him deeper inside of her. _Thrust. Thrust. Thrust._ More, he needed more. He flipped them over and sat up with Liz in his lap, never once leaving her body. He brought up and back down on his cock, growling as her breasts bounced in his face. Liz's hands flew to the headboard, slamming her lower body down onto Future-Max's. "Max, oh god, oh god, I'm so close," she panted, licking her lips.

**Flashback** : _He rested his forehead against hers and gripped at her hips. God, he felt like he was going to break her, but he couldn't get enough of her. It was as if she was made for him. He fitted perfectly inside of her. Knowing he wouldn't last long, his finger reached down and flicked at her clit. Liz stiffened, arched her back, and let out a shrilling scream._

"MAX!" screamed Liz as he now fucked her on the edge of the bed. He stood awkwardly by the bed with her legs wrapped around his waist. With every thrust, he pulled her legs at him, pulling her further and further off the bed. God, at age 31, he still had enough stamina to last, but he could not compare to the young age of Liz who seemed as though she could make love at least three times in a row. He was almost there, almost there. Dropping his sweaty head down onto her chest, he slammed into her one last time, causing a shriek to erupt from Liz as her fingernails dug into his arms. Once her walls clenched around him, he lost it and spilled himself inside of her.

**Flashback** : _Trying to catch their breaths, they held onto each other tightly without a care that they were sweaty. They slowly nodded off to bed as their bodies were exhausted to the extreme. Completion, it was two souls joining as one._


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5).
> 
> Since I am changing the events that happened in "The End of the World" episode, I am also changing that Maria did not go with Liz to the psychic. She went on her own.

_Falling from the western shore  
_ _to find yourselves alone again,_ _  
Wondering where you have been._ _  
Your lonely voice calls across the starlit coast,  
reaching out to be seen._

 _She cries your name,  
_ _three times again.  
_ _She cries your name.  
How long can this love remain?_

 _Cut beneath the surface screen of what we say_ _  
and what we seem is a trick to be seen._ _  
She keeps crying out your name,_ _  
but her scream sound the same.  
How fickle fate can be._

 _She cries your name,_ _  
three times the pain._ _  
She cries your name.  
How long can this love remain?_

 _Birds that scream for territory can learn to sing euphorically._ _  
Give him time an' he's real._ _  
And there's a wasteland in your soul._ _  
The burned out trees will leave you cold.  
Living out an ideal._

 _She cries your name,_ _  
three times again._ _  
She cries your name.  
How long can this love remain?_

_She cries your name,_ _  
Twelve times again._ _  
She cries your name.  
How long can this love remain?_

" **S** **he Cries Your Name** **," Beth Orton**.

* * *

**December 4, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

When Future-Max and Liz had fallen asleep in each other's arms after spending most of the night and morning discovering each other's body (re-discovering for him), Liz awoke later in the afternoon to find her bed empty. A sense of dread filled her because she knew he was gone. Feeling something rest against her chest, she pulled the blanket down, finding a necklace that was broken down the middle. It was the necklace with the strange alien symbol on it that she had seen her Max carry around with him. Future-Max must have placed it on her while she was sleeping.

God, how long had he laid there with her in his arms, waiting to cease to exist? She couldn't even imagine what went through his mind. Turning over, she tried to catch a whiff of him on the pillow next to her but there was no smell. It was as if he wasn't there. No… He wasn't there in the first place. Placing her arm over her eyes and blocking all sunlight, she sobbed. She was overcome with grief and happiness all at the same time. She was happy that this Max had showed her what she would have never gotten to experience. She was grieving because Future-Max had ceased as in death. She was torn apart at the fact that she would never ever experience this love again, not even from her Max. To everyone, Future-Max had never existed and they had never shared what they did last night. It never happened and that pained her to no ends.

She forced herself out of bed and noticed the faint silver handprint over her abdomen. Placing her smaller hand over the larger print, she smiled at the fact that Future-Max healed her when he took her virginity last night. She wished the handprint could stay there forever because that's what Max did—forever mark her as his. He really was like her Max. Then Liz's eyes widened as her hands flew to her mouth. _Her Max_. God, what he must have felt after catching her in bed with Kyle. Her stomach lurched. In a way, she envied Future-Max because he didn't have to deal with the consequences. But who knows where he was now… if he was dead or somewhere new. Who knew?

She spent the next several days walking on egg shells while looking like a heartbroken zombie. She went to school, worked, ate, and slept. It became a numbing mindless routine. She felt different with the new experience of what her body felt with Future-Max, but now all possibilities of that gone forever, she couldn't help but feel she went from a normal person to becoming like a nun. Her body would hum, desiring to feel that pleasure once again but she couldn't. So she forced herself to become numb, almost disgusted with her own body. Max hadn't shown his face at the Crashdown and she was grateful he hadn't come because she didn't even know what to say or how to act around him. She had never been in this situation before. Did he feel as horrible as she did? Would he notice something different about her? Did he completely hate her now? Would he go to Tess? So many questions plagued her mind, but honestly, she didn't want to know the answers. It would only hurt her more.

"Liz," said Maria, snapping Liz out her thoughts.

"Yeah?" she asked nervously.

"I think the table is clean."

Liz looked down at the table cloth in her hand. Her fingers were pruny and she had been gripping the towel as if she was choking someone. Fingernail marks were now embedded in the palm of her hand. How long had she been furiously wiping at the same spot? How long had she been digging her nails into the cloth and into her own hand? She sighed, annoyed because lately this wasn't the first time she had been lost in her thoughts. She walked to the backroom, dropping the towel into the sink. Maria followed.

"What's going on, Liz?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know something is wrong. I can see it on your face. You look like you're ready to burst."

God, was she that obvious? But then again, Maria was her best friend and she always knew when something was wrong. How was she supposed to keep this secret from Maria? She told Maria everything.

"Nothing is wrong. I just have a lot on my mind. You know, college and the future," she lied.

"So then would you care to tell me why Max showed up at Michael's apartment in tears?"

Suddenly, Liz felt nervous and almost sick. What if Max told Michael or Maria, or everyone? She felt like such a slut, garbage, filth. Deciding to play it cool and trying to keep back the tears, she replied, "Did he? I don't know why."

Maria's eyes squinted at her, knowing better, and placed her hand on Liz's shoulder. "I know something happened between you two. He wouldn't tell me, but I expect better from you. God Liz, I'm your best friend!" she exclaimed. She noticed the sadness in Liz's eyes that didn't seem to go away even when she gave her a small smile. "Chica, I'm here if you need. Let me know when you want to talk and I'll come flying over with ice cream," she said, smiling.

Liz was grateful she had such a great friend. As much as she wanted to tell her, she couldn't. Future-Max trusted her and only her. This wasn't her secret to tell. "Is he alright?" she asked.

"No, he's moping around. He doesn't talk or eat. He just lays in bed, crying, all day long."

It hurt Liz to see Max suffer. It hurt Liz to hurt Max. She could picture him in tears, wasting away. She had done that to Max. Even though it was Max himself who asked to be hurt, she was the one who did it. She knew Max wouldn't just fall out of love with her. She knew that he would hate her now. It was for the best—Max and Tess will be together now. This was the way it was meant to be and she knew that from the beginning when they first heard the message from Max's mom, stating that they were husband and wife. God, if she could, she would take his pain away and wish it upon herself. She would take all the hurt and let it consume her life because she was willing to give up her life for him.

"Thank gosh he came over when he did. The gerbil tried to sink her claws into him."

"What did you say, Maria?"

"Tess. She was behind him when he showed up. She kept trying to talk to him, to comfort him, but Max wasn't having any of it. Michael kicked her out of the apartment because she kept on whining. God, I've never seen anyone so annoying before, other than Pam Troy."

"What?! WHY?" Liz yelled. She silently cursed at Michael.

"Woah, woah, Liz! You sound like you wanted Tess to be there!" Maria said, holding her hands up in surrender when Liz looked like she was ready to attack her.

Liz cursed at herself for almost letting the secret slip. She shook her head from side to side. This wasn't supposed to happen. Max was supposed to find comfort in Tess. She wasn't meant to be kicked out by Michael. He was supposed to be in her arms, spilling everything to Tess, and she would hold him till morning and he would realize what he had in front of him. They were supposed to be together now. He was supposed to fall in love with Tess and they would experience things that she and Max never got to experience. The thought of them sleeping together nauseated her. It was supposed to be her—Liz—and Max, forever. M.E. + L.P., that's what he wrote on her wall during her blind date. She groaned and buried her face into her hands, hating that she had to give him up, that everything wasn't going the way she wanted.

"Liz, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Maria. I'm just tired. I'm gonna go on my break now," she said, opening the back door to the alley. She needed to get away from Maria, from the conversation, from everything. Once it was closed, she leaned up against the brick wall and stared up at the night sky.

The irony of it all… All this time, she had truly thought they were supposed to end up together, that true love would survive anything, that they were modern day Romeo and Juliet, but that turned out to be false hope. But then again, Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy and love doesn't always conquer all. Nothing can ever be too good. Something will always bring it down and this was it.

The fortune teller's verdict had been false too.

**Flashback** : _Hearing from Amy DeLuca at how good this Madame Vivian was, she took her parents' car and drove to the little psychic shop a little outside of Roswell. Upon entering, she was quickly seated by a Spanish boy who only smiled at her. As the psychic sat down, she studied Liz as if she already knew her fortune. She began to lay the cards over and said, "I've never seen the cards fall like this before. The boy, he's… different." Liz held back her laugh and continued to listen to the lady. "He's very important, this boy. He's a leader."_

_She held back the urge to say "duh" and forced her eyes not to roll at the psychic. "Yeah, he is. He has this whole other destiny… one that doesn't include me," she replied, thinking back about the day Max's mother told them that Tess was his wife._

_"No," said the psychic, quickly catching Liz's interest. "He chooses love. He chooses you."_

_"No, no, no, see, that's impossible!" Liz said, shaking her head in disbelief._

_The lady smiled as she held up the Lovers card for her to see. "The reading is clear. You marry your true love. You have happiness. See this card here? Intimacy. Sex. You will not be left wanting."_

_Liz could only stare at the card with a smile that lit up the world._

And now here was Liz, using the wall as support and her emotions in turmoil. She never got married. She did, but not in this lifetime and never again in any other lifetimes. She wasn't happy with the outcome. She wanted her marriage. She wanted true love. Most importantly, she wanted Max. But now she would never have him. She would never be able to kiss him, hold him, and show him just how much she still loved him.

There was one thing that the psychic was sort of right about: she did have intimacy, just not with her Max. Problem was she _was_ left wanting more. She was sure in any lifetime with Max Evans, their ability in bed would be just as amazing as proven by Future-Max. Scoffing, she thought, _Aliens—even fortune tellers couldn't predict that_.

As the tears began to blur her sight, she let out a cry, "Damn you!", at no one in particular. "DAMN YOU!" she screamed as the hot salty rivers fell down her face. She didn't even know who she was yelling at. Perhaps it was Future-Max. Perhaps it was God or fate. She just wanted to scream, anything to make the pain and loneliness building up inside of her go away.


	8. Chapter 7

_Watch out! He'll charm you.  
Smoother than the L.A. weather, that's how he holds himself together.  
He's colder than the winter, I wrap my coat around together.  
Cataract, it's charm attack that leaves me hungry well.  
I'm not a savior, but I tried to save you.  
And he stamps out every emotion and  
he dampens each and every explosion._

**"Charm Attack," Leona Naess**.

* * *

**December 4, 2000, Monday; New York City.**

While present-Liz tried to keep herself from suffering a breakdown, Future-Liz slept like a baby on the sofa of the duplicates' home. Never taught any manners, Zan threw a pillow and a blanket at the couch. "You sleep there," he commanded in a monotone voice as he went into his room to sleep on his comfy queen-sized mattress. But Liz didn't mind sleeping on the couch. It wasn't comfortable but it had been a while since she had a warm place to sleep at. She came to the past with barely any no money and with only the clothes on her back. She couldn't afford to sleep in a hotel, so on the first night she slept on the cold streets. Then after, she slept at homeless shelters.

The duplicates' home was cozy in the sense that they tried to make it as _normal_ as possible. Since they lived in the empty rooms of the subway tunnels, the place was quite large. The walls were covered with graffiti, mixed with past hoodlums who wanted to tag the walls with their names and by the doppelgangers'. On the wall were the four pods that made Liz think of her own pod squad's pods. She shook her head sadly. She thought, _God, they were born in the sewers._ She couldn't even imagine what they felt or thought when they first saw this place. _They deserve so much more than this. They deserve a home and loving parents_ , she thought.

There were four bedrooms—each with their own but Lonnie tended to sleep with Rath. Their rooms were all on the opposite sides of each other. Zan said it was to keep each other from hearing the others' bedroom businesses. Liz couldn't help but light up at the thought that Zan and Ava weren't romantically linked. There was a couch and a coffee table with one leg that was ready to break off in the living room. The kitchen was small and didn't have much, but the necessary stove and refrigerator. The plates and utensils were sitting on the counter next to the sink. The bathroom was just as unimpressive as the kitchen.

Zan and Liz hadn't said much after she had reappeared from the bathroom from their kiss. Her lips still tingled from the rough kiss, but that was always the effect that Max had on her. Zan looked like he didn't care as if kissing girls was his hobby. That pissed her off. Maybe he didn't feel what Max felt for her. Not that she cared, Liz told herself, but she knew that was a lie—she did care.

Waking up in the middle of the night, Liz took a sniff at herself. She reeked. _God, how could Zan even kiss me when I smell like this? I don't even want to know what I look like right now_ , she thought. Peeling the blankets off of her, she tiptoed into the bathroom. Again, it wasn't anything impressive—a small dingy four-walled bathroom with graffiti on the tile walls, a mirror that was cracked on the bottom right corner, a toilet that looked like it came from a jail cell, and a bathtub that looked like it hasn't been washed since day one. Not to mention there was a pile of dirty clothes under the sink. She bet the aliens were just too lazy to wave their hands over their clothes every time they wore them. They probably used their powers when they ran out of things to wear or just stole new clothes to wear.

Sighing, she peeled off her clothes and stood under the warm running water. As the steam filled the air, Liz grabbed the shampoo and poured some into her hand. Slowly lathering it into her hair, she loved how the water felt on her body. This was better than showering in the homeless shelters, which were _never_ cleaned. She rinsed off the shampoo and grabbed the small piece of soap, working it into her skin. The water trailed off her body and hit the tub, revealing the grayish water. Had it been that long since she had a decent shower? No wonder she felt awful.

After rinsing off and satisfied that she was clean, she cursed. She didn't have a towel and she never dried herself using her powers before. She didn't want to accidentally explode herself, so she grabbed one of the towels (there were four). Bringing it to her nose, she smiled. On her first try, she had picked Zan's. He smelled like Max too—completely male and a scent that was genuinely them. Wrapping herself with the towel, she closed her eyes. The smell of them filled the air and for a moment, Liz imagined she was in the arms of Max again. She imagined he came up from behind her, took her into her arms, and kissed her senseless against the bathroom wall, not caring he was getting his clothes wet. For a moment, she was back at home with her love.

Then the sound of the door opening tore her from her fantasy. She cursed and tried to push the door shut with her body. "Yo, wha' da fuck?" cried an angry voice on the other side. It was Zan.

"Someone is using the bathroom!" Liz yelled.

"Com'on, wha' da fuck? It ain't like I haven't seen naked bitches before!"

"Well, you haven't seen me naked before!" Then there was silence and a heavy growl. Liz still kept her guard up just in case Zan decided to shove his way inside again. There was no telling what he could do.

"Fine, hurry up!" he grunted.

Liz sighed as she rested against the door. She really should tell them to put a lock on the door. How did they manage to never walk in on each other? She shuddered at the thought of Zan encountering Lonnie, his own sister, naked in the bathroom and cringed at the thought of him walking in on Ava. _Perhaps they don't even care about nudity_ , she thought. Grimacing, she quickly dried herself off, waved her hands over her dirty clothes to make them clean again, dressed herself, and left the bathroom.

She was greeted with the sight of a shirtless Zan lounging on the couch. Suddenly her mouth went dry. His arm muscles flexed as he groggily scratched his head. His chest stretched out, revealing the hard outline of his abs. A soft thin trail of hair travelled from under his bellybutton and disappeared under the band of his boxers, which hung low on his hips. Tattoos graced his arms and chest. She even saw a tattoo that extended from his chest and disappeared to his back. His legs were spread out, but his boxers didn't help cover what she already knew. She could just barely make him out in his boxers, seeing the outline of his penis through the thin fabric. He was more than gifted in the sex department both in length and girth.

"Uh," she started. "Uh, I'm done. It's all your's. I… I used your towel. I hope you don't mind."

He grunted as if he didn't care, got off the couch, and walked into the bathroom. He was still groggy from his sleep. All Liz could do was watch his strong tattooed back and his bubble butt disappear into the bathroom. She let out a breath of frustration and walked into the kitchen, set on making breakfast for the group, hoping this would push the image of a semi-naked Zan out of her mind. She looked inside the fridge and saw only a carton of eggs, a block of cheese, ham, and something moldy that she swore that moved and pointed at her with an evil laugh.

"Omelets, it is," she said to herself as she took out the ingredients. Cracking the eggs into a bowl, she began to beat it with a fork. She then began to chop up the ham and cheese. Hearing the bathroom door open, Zan stepped out with the towel hung over his shoulders. For a second, Liz mistook him for Max with the wet slicked back hair and the confident walk. The piercings and the tattoos made her remember he wasn't Max. _God, I miss you, Max_ , she thought, hoping Max could hear her but he couldn't. Tearing her eyes from his delicious sexier-than-a-model's body, she dropped the ingredients into the bowl of eggs.

Zan enjoyed his shower because he saw how Liz eyed his body earlier. He knew he had a great body. All the countless chicks he fucked never complained. They were always begging for more when he left them. He enjoyed his shower even more when he smelled the scent of Liz on his towel. He took it with him into the shower, trying not to get it wet. He buried his face into the towel and began to touch himself, letting himself cum onto the tile wall. He felt disgusted with himself for letting himself feel this way. It was so pre-pubescent of him, jerking off to a woman. He never had to jerk off. He was hot enough to find a woman to satisfy him. He didn't need his hand for help. But never had he wanted someone so badly. Never had anyone turned him down, besides Ava. Never had someone affected him so much and in barely two days! Never.

Toweling off, he walked into the kitchen. The sight of Liz cooking tugged at Zan. He knew it was a sight he could get used to. He hated feeling… whatever he was feeling. He feared it, unsure of what was growing inside him. Just the thought of what he felt made him a little sick to the stomach. How can this woman affect him so much? As much as he tried to deny it, tried to push the feelings away, he couldn't control himself around her.

"I thought I'd make breakfast for everyone," she said, avoiding his gaze.

He didn't say anything. He reached for a pan and began to pour a drop of oil into it. Watching him turn on the fire, Liz smiled. "Thanks," she said. She began to pour some of the liquid batter into the pan. Waiting for the omelet to cook, she felt Zan's presence behind her. She tried to ignore him, but she stiffened when she felt his fingers run through her wet hair. His nose buried into the strands of her hair and took in her sweet scent. She turned around, ready to tell him off, but she stumbled back into the counter, finding him staring straight into her eyes.

"Zan," she said nervously. All she saw was his face and his muscular arms.

Biting her lower lip, she kept herself from moaning as she felt his fingers continue to run through her hair. She wanted to push him away but his arm trapped her to the counter. Suddenly, her scalp felt warm and she realized he had dried her hair using his powers. "Thanks," she smiled. But soon a different feeling washed over her. Her body shivered with anticipation under Zan's hungry stare. His nose bumped and rubbed against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut automatically and waited for the kiss. She cursed herself for letting him have such power over her. She couldn't help it. She knew she was cheating on Max for wanting Zan and by God did she love Max, but her body reacted naturally. She couldn't control herself and the scary thing was she didn't want to be in control. But the kiss never came. Instead, he ripped himself from her and turned her around towards the stove. He licked the outer shell of her ear, nipped her earlobe, and growled, "Your omelet is burning." He was gone as soon as he said it.

Confused, she stood there with heavy eyes as the scent of him disappeared with him. Realizing what he said, her eyes snapped open and she instinctively flipped the almost brown omelet out of the pan onto the nearest plate. Trying not to scream in frustration, she thought, _Goddamn him_. She cursed at herself for falling his… whatever she was falling for. It wasn't his charm, she knew that much because he didn't have any. She knew what he said—the omelet was burning—but god, the way he said it… It reminded her of when she often teased Max until he couldn't handle it anymore, until he took her roughly without even letting her get ready, until he slammed into her not caring if she had an orgasm or not (but she always did), until he growled like an animal into her ear and said "I'm going to fuck you so hard, baby. You won't even be able to walk straight. I'm going to fuck you over and over again, and you'll be begging for it. You'll want nothing else but my cock in you all day long. You hear me? I'm going to fuck your brains out." All she could ever do was whimper and comply then. But the way Zan had growled into her ear, she was damn sure it was one of the sexiest things she had ever heard.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Tess, Lies, and Videotape" (Season 1, Episode 17), "Max in the City" (Season 2, Episode 9), and "We Are Family" (Season 2, Episode 12).
> 
> Author's Note: I'm not really too happy about this chapter, but I just needed to get it out. With all the drama and sexual tension, I needed Liz to have a breather from it all. Also, I don't really like leader-Max and I wanted to show how the two slowly come together again. I promise you all will enjoy the next chapter.

_Even though I once believed our love was never ending,  
I had to face the fact you ruined it all._

" **Right Behind You," Tribal Ink**.

* * *

**December 11, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

It had been a long week for Liz. Christmas was soon coming up and her father was driving her up the wall with the constant bickering of how they should start hanging decorations up in the Crashdown. In that same week, Isabel managed to rope her and Maria into being elves for the upcoming Christmas pageant. Along with work, her schedule was packed. She buried herself with the long hours of work and school to keep her mind off of the current situation with her and Max. The gang knew something had happened between Max and Liz, but they didn't push the subject. It wasn't the first time that Max and Liz had a falling out. Too often had the two fought with their friends trying to reconcile them, but ended up only causing more trouble. They knew they eventually would be told what happened and in due time, everyone would heal again and come together as a group like always.

After working a particularly long shift today by herself (Maria had left in the afternoon to do some Christmas shopping with Alex and Kyle), Liz was grateful that it was closing time. She began to put the chairs up onto the tables. Paper topics and outlines, and a potential list of Christmas gifts rushed through her mind. She wanted to keep busy. She didn't want to think about— She then snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a light tapping and saw Max at the door. " _Damn_ ," she thought. With a gulp, she walked towards the doors and opened it for him. He brushed past her without a look and sat down in one of the booths. Maria had told her that he had been staying at Michael's, not wanting to be alone and having Isabel and his parents hound him with questions about his state.

She closed her eyes and let out the air that she had been holding in. Staring out past the doors into the darkness, she willed all the courage she had and turned around. She sat down across from him. He didn't say anything. No, he didn't have to say anything because when he finally looked up at her, his eyes and the emotions flying across his face told her everything. In that moment, Liz felt her stomach lurch. The pain in her chest was growing. She felt horrible that she had caused him such pain. She knew. She knew she had hurt him. But seeing him up close made it all seem much more real. His eyes were bloodshot as if he had been crying for days. His nose was red to show how harsh the tissues were on his face. His cheeks had sunken in, showing he had lost weight. The dark heavy bags under his eyes showed his lack of sleep. He looked like a zombie. The silence was deafening. A few more seconds of silence and she was going to run out of there. She gripped onto her alien head apron, trying to find the strength.

"Max…" she started, wanting to break the tension.

"No," he said sternly. She blinked in confusion. "I… I need you to listen to me," he croaked out. She nodded, afraid of what he was going to say.

"Every time I tell myself that you wouldn't—that you couldn't—that you didn't _sleep_ with Kyle, I can't help but keep picturing what I saw," he choked out. His adam's apple bobbed up and down. His hands closed into fists.

Oh how she wanted to tell him the truth so badly, but she knew she couldn't. The world was literally resting on her shoulders at the moment. If she told him, all the efforts of Future-Max would be wasted. Tess will leave again. The group will fall and worse, die. She started to say his name again, but Max quickly held his hand up to stop her. She bit her lower lip in anticipation.

"I know what I saw. Nothing, _nothing_ , can change that. I keep trying to tell myself that it was just my imagination, that my eyes played some sort of trick on me, but I know it's not," he said.

Liz recalled herself feeling exactly the same not too long ago. It was when Tess had first arrived in Roswell. It was when Max had left her in the Crashdown, telling her that she was the one he wanted to be with, that fate had brought them together, that she was the only one for him. Only then moments later was he wrapped up in the arms of Tess, kissing her in the rain. " _It's like everything I see with my eyes tells me that he's cheating on me. But everything I felt with my heart tells me that he's not_ ," she recalled herself once saying to Maria. If only she knew back in the beginning of this all on how this would all turned out, she would've stopped herself from pursuing a relationship with Max. She snapped out of her thoughts and licked her tight lips, uncomfortable with the sudden dryness in her mouth.

"I have to ask and I promise I'll never ask it again... Did you sl—… Did you sleep with Kyle?" he struggled to ask. Her voice betrayed her; she could only nod her head. As his jaw clenched, he firmly said, "I love you. I _love_ you, Elizabeth Parker."

"Max," Liz said, ready to say something along the lines that she didn't want to be with him, that she no longer loved him, which were all lies.

"No, I need you to _just_ listen okay? I love you and I will forever love you, because for me, you are the only one that matters. For me, you are the one. We've been through a lot together, but I thought we would always end up back together. But now I realized this is unfair… to you. The day I saved your life, I ruined your life."

"No, Max. Quite the opposite," whispered Liz. How could he think he ruined her life? If it weren't for him, she wouldn't even be here today. She wouldn't be living and breathing. She wouldn't have been able to see her parents or her friends again. She wouldn't have seen Grandma Claudia one last time. She wouldn't have experienced what it was like to fall and be in love. If it weren't for him, she would've died at a young age where she hadn't experienced a single thing she was supposed to.

Max continued: "Maybe not ruined, but I managed to suck you up into all this mess. Every day, it's a danger for every single one of us—not knowing when we'll get captured or killed. I want you to have… I want you to have a normal life, as normal as possible."

"Max…" she breathed out. Hearing those words from Max, she recalled that he had once said to her: " _What's so great about normal?_ " But now things were different.

"Please, let me finish. I love you too much to see you hurt. It killed me that day to see you with Kyle. I nearly died that day, Liz, and maybe I'm still dying. I never felt such pain before! Not even when I was in the white room because the thought you kept me alive… But it would kill me even more to see you hurt and alone, or worse, killed. That is why… That is why I'm letting you go," he said, letting a tear slip out. "I want you to be happy. I want you to do the things you've always wanted to. I realized that it's our right to see the world, to live our dreams. It's different for me, Isabel, Michael, and Tess, but I don't want to hold you back. Everyone we touch gets hurt in some way or another."

"That's not true," she replied.

But he continued. "Five years from now, I don't want you to open your eyes and realize that… that you missed out. You're part of the group. You always will be. But you need to be allowed to… to grow. If you decide to be with Kyle or go off to—I don't know—Sweden, then do so. I won't stop you."

Liz watched as the tears fell down Max's face. She knew he was having a hard time dealing with this. She knew he was only saying what he thought she wanted to hear, that what he was telling her was all lies. She knew he really wanted to profess his love for her and want her to tell him what he saw was wrong. She knew he wanted to hold her and kiss her till the pain went away. She knew exactly what he wanted, but he couldn't have it. She wanted to scream that she wanted him to be with her, that wherever she went or whatever she did, she wanted him to be by her side, that he was the only one for her as well. She just wanted him to be right alongside with her, experiencing the same things she would, with their hands entwined together as a symbol of their love.

"But I'll be watching you, Liz Parker. Whatever you do, wherever you go, I'll be here," he said. At that moment, Liz got up and hugged Max. She had to. She wasn't expecting him to forgive her so easily, but maybe he hadn't. Maybe he loved her too much to not have her in his life. She didn't know, but she knew one thing: Max loved her enough to let her go just like she him. This meant the world to Liz. They stayed that way for god knows how long. Friends, they were going to try to be friends. All this time, they were hanging by a single thin thread, but now… that thread had been cut and replacing that emptiness was a new rope with many new threads tangled together.


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All spellings errors in this chapter are deliberate.

_I never thought that I could be so satisfied._ _  
Every time that I look in your angel eyes,_ _  
a shock inside me that words just can't describe  
and there's no explaining._

 _Something in the way you move, I can't deny._ _  
Every word from your lips is a lullaby._ _  
A twist of fate makes life worthwhile.  
You are gold and silver._

 _I said I wasn't gonna lose my head,  
_ _but then pop! goes my heart.  
(Pop! goes my heart)  
_ _I wasn't gonna fall in love again,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart,_ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)_ _  
and I just can't let you go.  
I can't lose this feeling._

 _These precious moments, we have so few._ _  
Let's go far away where there's nothing to do but play._ _  
You show to me that my destiny's with you_ _  
and there's no explaining.  
_

 _Let's fly so high._ _  
Will you come with me tonight?_ _  
In your dress, I confess you're the sole sunlight.  
The way you shine in the starry skies,_

_You are gold and silver._

_I said I wasn't gonna lose my head,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart._ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)  
I wasn't gonna fall in love again,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart,_ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)_ _  
and I just can't let you go.  
I can't lose this feeling._

_A twist of fate makes life worthwhile.  
You are gold and silver._

_I said I wasn't gonna lose my head,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart._ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)  
I wasn't gonna fall in love again,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart._ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)_

 _I said I wasn't gonna lose my head,_ _  
but then pop! goes my heart._ _  
(Pop! goes my heart)_ _  
I wasn't gonna fall in love again,  
_ _but then pop! goes my heart,  
_ _(Pop! goes my heart)  
and I just can't let you go._

" **Pop! Goes My Heart," PoP! (aka Hugh Grant)**.

* * *

**December 11, 2000, Monday; New York City.**

Like Present-Liz, Future-Liz was having a rough couple of days of her own—only sexually frustrated more like it. The cocky but sexy Zan happened to appear at every corner at every moment, slightly grazing himself against her. He'd whispered things into her ears that weren't necessarily sexy, such as "Pass me the butter," "You dropped your sock in the bathroom," or "Want food?" But god, the way he said them made her shiver like a young wanton woman like her husband had once done to her. Zan would breathe heavily against the side of her face, whisper his sexless sayings, and lick the outer shell of her ears. Who knew the ears were so sensitive? He'd teased her by running his lips down her neck, only every once in a while letting his hot tongue drag against her skin. He'd brush his fingers along the top of her breasts and sought out her already hard nipples. He'd too often brush his rock-like erection against her backside, letting her feel exactly what she was missing out on. And every time she'd lose self-control, overwhelmed with the want to satisfy the ache in between her legs, and was ready to attack him, he would leave her high and wanting more. She remembered trying to grasp onto his arms and his shirt, but he'd quickly maneuver himself away from her with a smirk and a wink. He would walk away, still staring at her with such lust, licking his lips as he disappeared into his bedroom with the door shut.

It would always end the same way: she would scream in frustration once he was gone that always brought a smile to Zan's face. He'd even given her a nickname—"Angel"—because apparently she looked oh so innocent to him. He said something along the lines that she was sent there for him. How can someone so cocky yet insensitive still turn her on? Max was nothing like Zan both mentally and emotionally. Max cared for her and made it known to her every day. He kissed with her with such love that she never doubted their feelings for each other. Sex wasn't just sex for him; it was making love. But with Zan, it seemed like primal lust as if they had to do it according to nature. He said nothing of his feelings for her, but only letting her know how much he wanted to fuck her. Fuck being the word, not love.

Zan knew what he was doing to her. He enjoyed seeing this strong petite girl flush when he rubbed himself against her. Watching her moan with her head thrown back in need of more turned him on like never before. Sure, he had been hard before, but not like this. The erection she gave him felt unsatisfied even when he spilled his semen. He couldn't will it away nor would it fall. It was as if he had Viagra in his system twenty-four-seven.

Zan was a lady's man, simple as that. He fucked them with pure sexual passion and left them still high. Not that most of the women minded anyway. They enjoyed being taken passionately by some stranger and he would leave them completely and utterly satisfied. Then there were those who wanted him to commit to them, never experiencing what he gave them before, but he couldn't. No, he didn't want to. Sex was the only thing he was good for. Those women didn't care for him; they only wanted his body. There was no room in his life for emotional attachments or commitment. He was the perfect fantasy for women to curl up in bed and read about in those steamy Fabio-covered novels. He fucked them, got off, and left as if he was a figment of their horny imagination. Never had he had a feeling for the hundreds of women he slept with, but with Liz, it was different. Just watching her do the simplest things such as throwing out the garbage turned him on. When she washed the dishes, he took notice of her tight bottom that seemed like a perfect fit in his hands. When she wiped the table, he noticed how her body swayed back and forth as if she was privately dancing for him. When she watched TV, he noticed how her mouth parted open and wondered what it would feel like with his cock buried in her small hot mouth. He wanted her like he never wanted anymore before. Her constant rejection had hurt his ego a little, just slightly bruised. He had never put so much effort in trying to fuck someone before. Most of the time, the women came to him or they just melted once he took them into his arms. But Liz—she was an enigma. She put up a brick wall and many times, over and over again, spurned him, but he could see the desire in her eyes. By the heavy panting of her opened mouth, he noticed her flush, wanting him to satisfy the burning he caused in her. He knew why she resisted him. She was torn apart with the idea of being with him and cheating on her husband (who, sadly, looked like him), and that's why he wanted to break down her walls, wanted her to beg for him, wanted her to want him back. He wanted her to want him and only him. He wanted her to want Zan.

He was alarmed of the feelings she stirred inside him. He tried to ignore it, but it was hard when he was constantly hitting on her. He could pretend all he wanted, but he already knew he was falling for her—something that had never happened before to him and he hadn't even fucked her yet. He hadn't even fucked her yet! What the hell was that? How could he love someone without even knowing what she felt underneath him? What she felt around his cock? Or what she tasted like? At night, he would toss and turn, frustrated by his constant perverse dreams of taking her forcefully and marking her as his property. He had even developed a closer relationship with his hands and that disgusted him to no ends. Zan was the man. Zan does not go to his hands for comfort. Zan could have any women he wanted. Willing women would spread their legs, moaning to him to slip his cock into their hungry pussies. Zan does not go to his hands. Zan was **THE** man. But even Zan da Man could not ignore it all.

He knew she belonged to his double from the future. Cursing himself every night, he wished that he had met her first, that he had a different life—one that involved her. Hell, he wouldn't mind being his double in this current time because that means he would get to be with this amazing woman. He would be able to watch her grow before his eyes. He understood why his double had set his sights on her. She wasn't just beautiful. There were no words to describe just how amazing she looked. She looked oh so angelic yet the confidence in her walk and the passion in her eyes told him different. She had a small button nose, pouty lips, and cheeks that blushed whenever he was near her. She was strong yet wise and her eyes held something innocent in them. She was smart and quick on her feet, able to battle him to the end of their wits on any topic. She was small, but her curves made up for it. She wasn't overly large in the chest or ass department, but she was perfect in that she would fit in the palm of his hands. It was as if she was made deliberately for him. Yes, Zan da Man was jealous and head over heels.

Suddenly, he was elbowed on the side, snapping him out of his, once again, somewhat perverse thoughts. He brought his attention back to the group sitting around the wobbly table. He was sitting to Liz's left with Rath to her right. Lonnie to Rath's right and Ava to Lonnie's right. Their eyes all focused on him. "What?" he asked, not paying attention to what they were talking about.

"Where's yo head at? Focus man," said Rath. "We's were sayin' dat we'd leave in four days. Head up to Roswell, New Mexico. Do yer bitch's biddin' and scram."

"I'm not his _bitch_ ," angrily said Liz as she pinched Rath's arm.

"Hey!" Rath rubbed where she squeezed his flesh and pinched her back. "Don't touch me!"

"Don't touch me!" she mocked.

"Yo, King. Git yer whore under control!"

"I'm not his whore!" Liz then launched a feminine punch-slap attack on him (which she had long ago learned from Maria).

"Stop it, woman!" he said, trying to avoid her slaps, which ended with him putting Liz in a head-lock.

"Let go!" she screamed, struggling to break free.

"Say it!" he roared with a snicker.

"Get off!"

"SAY IT!"

"RATH, GET OFF NOW!"

"I ain't lettin' go till ya say it!"

"Fine, you want me to say it? RATH LOVES TO TAKE IT UP THE ASS!"

Rath sputtered with a growl. "Oh, dat's it! Ya wanna be funny? Ya wanna be funny, huh? I show ya funny!" he cried, adding a knuckle-sandwich. "How do ya like dat, ehh? How do ya like dem fruits?" he said, grinding his knuckles harder into her head.

"STOP, RATH. STOP IT! STOPPP!" Wanting to be free, Liz shrieked, "FINE, FINE! RATH IS GANGSTAAAAAAAAAA!" Then her head dislodged from Rath's arms. A little dazed, she rubbed her head and kicked him in the shin in revenge while she tried to fix her now frizzy hair.

Ava, Lonnie, and Zan stared wide-eyed in confusion. When had Rath become so chummy with Liz? It was only just last week that Rath was threatening to kill Liz and now they were friendly-attacking each other.

"Someone wanna explain what jus' happ-ed?" asked Ava.

"We bonded ova a slice," said Rath.

Rath had wanted to interrogate Liz some more, seeing as he was probably the only one in his group who truly cared about going home, about understanding where he came from, and meeting his _true_ family. He always felt that Earth wasn't his home and right off the bat, Liz knew Rath was exactly like Michael who always searched for something more. He had cornered her outside when he went out for a smoke and saw her coming back with the pizza. She had wanted to get some fresh air so she offered to pick it up. After a few minutes of yelling at each other like a brotherly-sisterly relationship (why they were arguing in the first place, they could no longer remember), pizza became the peace offering. They bonded, sitting on the sidewalk, eating pizza slices. In the end, Rath felt nothing but brotherly love for Liz, wanting to protect her against all things evil alien. He, of course, was the General. Protection was his job; that and blowing up things.

Lonnie rolled her eyes and said, "I ain't even gonna ask," as she picked off an imaginary lint off her pants. Zan scowled at how Rath had easily placed his hands on Liz like he had claim over her.

"So we head up to New _Meh-he-co_ and den what?" asked Ava. "I don't think they's gonna welcome us wit' open arms." She crinkled her nose and scratched her head. Her blonde and purple hair fell over her eyes and she blew it out of her face.

"The problem is," Liz bit her bottom lip and stared at the floor, "I won't be able to come with you guys."

All three heads snapped towards her directions and cried out, "WHAT?!"

"I mean, probably not the entire way. Look, a friend of mine told me that if I were to come into contact with my past self, we'll both be obliterated, so there's no way I can be in Roswell. You know, just to be safe so I don't happen to turn around the corner and bump into… myself."

"Why didn't ya tell us soon-na?" asked Zan. She knew he was angry. He practically had flames seeping out of his eyes and smoke out his ears. Not to mention, she saw his drinking cup crack from the corner of her eye, but not enough for the liquid to seep out.

"I was going to, but with everything so far, I'd figure I'd tell you later."

"Like when?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, the day we leave?"

"Wha' da hell?!" he yelled. The crack in the cup widened. Oh, Liz was pushing his buttons.

"What else ain't ya tellin' us?" asked a concerned Ava.

Liz really didn't want to tell them this part. Truthfully, she had kind of enjoyed this group. She knew that in many ways, they were similar to her group, but they were reckless and wild. They lived freely without a care of what other people thought because they knew they were special. They embraced their difference and accepted it completely. The fact that they were abandoned by absolutely everyone with no one to take them in made them tighter as a unit, tighter than her own group sadly. Where in her group, if one were to cause trouble, the group would be torn apart, where as with this group, even when they argued, they brushed it off like it was no big deal.

"If you guys successfully achieve, no… _When_ you guys succeed in changing history, a different version of the future will take place. All the events that led to who I am fourteen years from now will be different. The woman I am now will…" Liz didn't want to say it for the thought of it was too horrible for her to want to admit. "… will cease to exist," she choked out.

She saw the shocked looks on their faces, but Zan's face… It was currently unreadable. Then the cup exploded into pieces. Oh, Liz had done it now. The next thing she knew was she was being lifted off her feet and plopped over Zan's shoulder. "ZAN! What are you doing?! Let me down! LET ME DOWN!" she cried as he carried her into his bedroom. The group stared at Zan's retreating back with a flailing Liz on his shoulders, rolled their eyes, and began to eat dinner with Rath fixing the broken cup as if it was a daily occurance.

Once in the bedroom, with the door slamming shut behind Zan, he dropped her down onto the bed like a heavy luggage. As soon as she came back down to Earth, she got back up on her feet and shoved him. "What the hell is your fucking problem, Zan?!"

He was taken aback by the push. No one pushed him like that, not even Rath. Once regaining his balance, he advanced on her. "What is _my_ problem? What is _your_ problem? How could ya not tell me?"

"I was going to!" Liz tried not to back down, but it was hard to go against a six-foot-one body made of nothing but muscle. As his face closed in on hers, she felt the back of her knees hit his bed.

"No, I mean sooner! Why didn't ya tell me sooner?!"

"I don't know!" She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated. Walking away from him and the bed, she felt awkward that she was in his room. This was the first time she had been in his room. His bed was unmade with two pillows tossed carelessly in the middle. On either side of the bed were two drawers. The left cabinet had a lamp with a stack of worn books on top of it. The right had a box of tissues and a clock on top of it. Across the room was another drawer, but bigger; she assumed it was where he kept his clothes. To the side of the left cabinet by the bed was a closet with a mirror attached to the door.

Zan saw Liz analyzing his room, but he could care less what his room looked like to her. He was furious and he demanded some answers. He wasn't just plain angry. He was furious. He was a volcano that had already erupted and was still blowing up lava, wanting to wreck havoc on the civilization around him. "TELL ME!" he yelled. The lamp suddenly exploded due to his anger that had leaked out his powers. He grabbed her arm so she could focus on him and pushed her into the wall with his body.

Liz hated when Max cornered her with his body against the wall when they were fighting. It made her feel weak and weak she wasn't. But Zan was doing the same to her now, evoking the same weak feelings she felt with Max. He pressed her against the wall firmly and she hissed when she felt his hands grip her arms tighter. "Stop it, Zan. You're hurting me," she whimpered.

"TELL ME!" he yelled once again as he pulled her an inch away from the wall and pushed her back into it. Anything movable in the room started to shake. The light began to flicker wildly.

 _God, he's going to hurt me_ , she thought fearfully. She never had seen Max this angry before and judging from Zan's nature, there was no telling what he could do to her. Suddenly, she felt afraid for her life. This man that stood before her was not just an alien but he was definitely not human at this moment. He was an animal. She could feel the violent heat radiate off his body and the heavy breaths on her face. She had to tell him. She had to. If she didn't, he may… "I was afraid!" she admitted, tearing up.

Zan blinked. He wasn't expecting that response from Liz. He was hoping to hear some half-assed response so he could release more of his anger at her. He wondered how she could not tell him what will happen when they changed the future. He shook his head, almost in denial. How could she keep something this important from him? How could she not trust him with her thoughts and feelings? And most importantly, how could she not go to him? But upon hearing her choke back her tears and at the sight of her trembling lower lip, he suddenly regretted his brutal ways. He felt all the anger drain from his body and uneasiness took place. He didn't mean to be so rough with her. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't abusive. He never hit a woman before. He just… He couldn't control himself, especially not around Liz. Silently cursing at himself with a frown, he raised a shaky hand to the side of Liz's face and noticed her flinch. He clenched his teeth, hurt that she would think he would hit her. He would never hit her. Never. He would rather die before he hit her. He rubbed his thumb back and forth against her cheek, showing just how much he was sorry. "Afraid of what?" he asked softly, hoping to understand.

She was surprised by his sudden change of tone. One minute, he was abusive and the next, he was gentle. She decided he was either bipolar or the fact that how he grew up never taught him how to be in control of his emotions. In fact, perhaps it was just in his DNA. She remembered when Max had once grabbed her as roughly as Zan did. Once their argument had calmed down, Max quickly repented. She knew Max hadn't meant to be so rough with her and in this moment, she knew Zan hadn't meant to be so violent with her either. Or was she just that easy to manipulate when it came to these two men in her life? Still unnerved yet unable to help but forgive him, she responded, "If… If I say it, then I _admit_ it will happen. If I say I will cease, then it _will_ happen."

In the short period of time Zan knew her, he knew nothing but her strength. It was in this moment that he truly saw how fragile she was, that she was upset with all the events that happened in her time, that she mourned for the loss of her husband, that she was afraid of disappearing. "Liz, baby," he breathed out. His hand went under her chin and tilted her head up so their eyes could meet. He sucked in his breath when he saw the tears slipping out from the corners of her eyes. He pressed his forehead against hers.

Liz tried to move her face away, trying to get away, but he only forced her to look back at him as his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck. "Don't," she pleaded, closing her eyes to avoid his gaze.

"Angel, look at me."

"I can't." She was too afraid to look at him. She was afraid because of the feelings of her impending death, but in this moment, mostly because of the feelings he stirred inside of her. She had been fighting him for so long, but now… if she were to look at him, she knew she couldn't restrain herself anymore.

"Please, Liz," said Zan, his voice turning husky. "Look at me."

Biting her lip, she opened her eyes and immediately regretted it because she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. His eyes had darkened till they were almost pure black. His breathing had quickened with his jaw clenched tightly. She could smell the spiciness in his breaths. She saw how close the mole on his upper lip was to her. Oh how she wanted to taste him. He rubbed his nose against hers, enjoying the feeling of this close proximity. His fingers trailed down her collarbone, grazing against the top of her breasts that were ready to spill out of her tank top.

"Zan," she breathed out almost in pleasure at the feather-like touch. They couldn't deny it anymore. They both wanted each other and in this moment, they both _needed_ each other. With a growl, he went to take her lips, but stopped short. He wanted to make sure she wanted this. He didn't want to take her against her own will. He didn't want her to regret this. Suddenly feeling brave, Liz's tongue flicked at his lower lip, tasting only a small preview of Zan. That was the answer he needed. His lips quickly descended down onto hers. Their lips nipped at each other's before his tongue found its way into her mouth. Oh god, after a week of sexual frustration, she was finally given what she had been craving for. He was eating her alive. His lips were everywhere, nibbling, biting, and sucking. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his left hand slid down to her leather-covered bottom, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. His other hand tangled itself into her hair. She couldn't help but moan as his hot tongue slid against hers. He tore his lips away, trailing them down her neck while his hand kneaded her ass.

Liz rubbed herself against him, unable to control the ache in between her legs that wanted to be satisfied. He was hard against her heat and she desperately rocked herself against it. Zan growled at the friction and nipped at her jaw as she panted into his ear. His hand slid under her tank top to find she wasn't wearing a bra. With a deep growl, his fingers quickly found their way onto her nipple and pinched it, enjoying how hard it felt in between his fingers. He tugged at it, enjoying its bounce. She threw her head back and once her neck was exposed to Zan, his lips latched onto the pulse of her neck.

"Bed now," she moaned out as he cupped her breast entirely. She fidgeted in his arms as his hand softly kneaded the flesh.

That was all he needed to hear before he stumbled his way to the bed with Liz in his arms. Dropping down, he quickly dissolved their clothes with the wave of his hand. She smiled. Being an alien had some of its perks, she thought. His body was gorgeous. He was ripped in all the right places. His pecs and abs were so defined that she was sure her chest would have an imprint of his chest. The sight of the tattoos that graced his body turned her on even more. They told her the life story of Zan. They were a part of him. She felt his penis tap against her womanhood. _God, he's so big_ , she thought. Her hand reached down and grabbed his engorged penis while she caught his bottom lip in between her teeth. He hissed in pain which quickly turned into a groan when he felt the tip of his cock rub against Liz's vagina lips. Her wetness coated the tip of his cock. He was right—she was more than beautiful. Her breasts did fit in the palm of his hands. She did have curves in all the right places. He licked at the freckles that danced across her chest, deliberately ignoring her soft mounds, and groaned when he caught sight of the triangular patch of hair in between her legs.

"Please," she whimpered, wanting to satisfy the ache. She was so far gone that she didn't care about foreplay anymore. She wanted him buried deep inside her now. She wanted to feel herself stretch to accommodate him. She wanted to feel him invade her body. She wanted to feel him slide against her walls. She wanted him to bring her to heaven and crash her back down to Earth. Zan rubbed his unshaven chin against her neck and down the valley of her breasts, finally capturing a nipple in his mouth. The scratchy feeling of his beard against her skin made Liz tingle. She let out a moan as his tongue repeatedly dabbed at her nipple. His hands then held her breasts, softly pushing them together as if she was wearing a push-up bra. His hot mouth trailed from one breast to the other, licking and sucking.

Liz pushed her heat towards his penis, managing to slip only the head inside of her. It wasn't enough, but it was a start. _God, the girth of him_ , she thought, _the girth!_ Zan nearly came when he felt how good she felt. He shook his head. He was barely even in her! It was just the tip. Liz mewed when he slipped out. He could hear the wet suction of her tight pussy. Unable to control himself anymore, he pressed his lips against her temple and pushed his full length into her heat. His eyes rolled back at the sudden feeling of her tight warmth completely surrounding his organ. Liz cried out loudly with her eyes clenched tight at the sudden feeling of being filled. Completion—they both were exactly where they wanted the other to be.

He couldn't believe they were finally joined. It felt like a dream to him. All the nights he had dreamed of taking her this way, of her underneath him—it was finally here. He bit his lower lip and pulled out his lower body as far as he could. His penis threatened to slip out and he quickly surged hard back inside of her. Her body jerked at invasion as she tangled her fingers into his spiky hair. She held on as his hips began a fast pace of re-joining their bodies. Her legs wrapped tighter around his waist, forcing him to go faster and deeper. "God, baby, you feel so tight," Zan panted out. Capturing her lips one more time, he lifted one of her legs over his shoulder. "Fuck!" he cried out as he sank deeper inside her.

"Oh god!" groaned Liz as she thrashed head to the side.

His grip tightened on her leg as he thrust deeply into her. Out of all the times he's had women, never had it felt this amazing. She was tight like she had never been with a man before. The walls of her vagina burned him and milked him for what he's worth. He buried himself hard into her, his balls nestled nicely against her ass cheeks. The sweat on his forehead fell onto Liz's chest, causing her breasts to glisten. He watched her body jerked as his cock reappeared and disappeared into her dark curls. Her constantly moving breasts taunted him. Panting heavily, her hands found their way to his headboard, stretching and exposing her body even more. He felt her clench around him, letting him know she wasn't going to last and neither was he. His hand dropped down from her leg to her center and his thumb found her nub. "OH GOD!" cried Liz as she sunk her nails into Zan's shoulder.

With him inside of her and the bundle of nerves attacking her body, it was too much for her to take. He dropped her leg back down onto the bed and placed both his arms on either side of her head. She curled her arms around his as his body pressed heavily against hers into the bed. He pushed inside of her, his entire body rubbing up against hers. She could feel his balls slapping against her flesh. Her legs were so wide open that she could feel his lower body hit her clit with every thrust. "Come for me, baby. You know you want to. I want to feel you come on my cock. Come on my fucking cock," he growled into her ear. As if on command, her body arched off the bed as her orgasm washed over her. She let out a yell as her walls pulsed and tightened more around him. His hips bucked against hers and with one final push, he came, coating her insides with his milky semen.

Spent, he collapsed onto her body, shivering just as much as Liz was. He nuzzled his sweaty face into her breast, enjoying the softness and the bounce. Slowly slipping out, hating to leave her body already, he wrapped her in his arms, rolled them over so she was on top. Liz rubbed her flushed cheek against his chest, trying to regain control of her body once again. They enjoyed the feeling of being in each other's arms; they didn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. As their breathing evened and their eyelids became heavy, they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All spellings errors in this chapter are deliberate.
> 
> Author's Note: I am not too happy about this chapter. I kept trying to go back to this chapter over and over again to fix it (extending it from six pages to eight pages), but I got to the point where I can't even look at it anymore.

_Wake up in the morning,_ _  
I shall wake up and so shall you._ _  
And I wake up.  
The sun is beautiful  
and it is warming you and I.  
Fragile as we lie._

" **One Day I Slowly Floated Away," Eisley**.

* * *

**December 12, 2000, Tuesday; New York City.**

Future-Liz woke up with a smile on her face. She hadn't rested so well in such a long time and her body still tingled from the sexual activities. Last night, when Zan took her… It was explosive. It was mind-blowing. It was pure animalistic passion. It left her satisfied like she hadn't been since she came here. How was it possible she was ready to go another round? She thought she had been sexed out last night. The memory of Zan's heavy body on top of hers made her ache. His burning wet mouth on her skin… His palms kneading her breasts and ass… His cock surging inside of her… Oh, how she wanted him!

She was resting on top of Zan with the blanket tangled around their bodies. Propping herself on her elbows, she stared down at the sleeping Zan. How young he looked when he was asleep. She saw past his tattoos and his piercings. She saw past his threatening look and his rude cocky attitude. Underneath him was just a little boy in search for something more and being a little cocky herself, she knew that something was her. Swiping her nose against his chest, not wanting to break free from his embrace, she noticed how Zan still had his arms around her. He trapped her to him as if she was going to up and leave any moment, not that she would. She enjoyed the feeling of his muscular arms holding her. She felt warm. She felt safe. She felt loved. She felt like she was at home.

Trailing her finger on the tattoo on his arm like the very first day they had met at the café, she felt him roll them over with his body on top of hers and bury his face into her neck. Zan was resting peacefully, which was unusual because he never slept with someone in his bed before. No one had ever slept in his bed before, not even Ava. On the nights he fucked some stranger, he always went to her place. It was easier for him to leave in the morning. The person also wouldn't stalk him outside of his home. Not that the person would if she knew he lived in the subway tunnels. He wondered what Liz had done to him. Sleeping with her made him feel like he's never had sex before. Kissing her made him dizzy. Touching her overwhelmed him with want. Looking at her made him long for her. She had bewitched him and she terrified him.

When he felt Liz touching him just now, it was as if his body had suddenly been shocked to life. Every nerve lit up and pulled him out of his dream world (which he was having a very nice dream of pounding into Liz senselessly in the steamy shower). Controlling himself, he forced his mind to clear away the fog. Suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of being used, he tightened his hold on her, heavily pressing his body against hers. "I'm not him," he said in a deep groggy voice, sinking his teeth into her neck as if he was marking her as his. "I'm not Max."

She stiffened at his words while trying to ignore the unshaven hairs on his chin scratching against the side of her neck. She knew she was supposed to feel guilty about sleeping with Zan. God, she had cheated on Max, her husband, the love of her life! Yet for some odd reason, she didn't feel guilty. She couldn't explain why, but she felt comfortable with him, just as comfortable as she did with Max. She knew they were total opposites, except for their leader-like qualities and their interest in her. They weren't the same person. Max was not Zan and Zan was not Max. They weren't just identical twins but fraternal twins as well. But if it was one thing she knew, it was things had changed for both her and her Max when they came back to the past. Everything and anything was up for grabs. Things were different now. " _The future is to be determined_ ," she thought, remembering what Max had always told her. Yes, everything was different now.

Planting a long tender kiss on Zan's shoulder, she knew he was afraid that she was using him as a replacement for Max. Sure she loved Max—no, she still loves him—but somehow she loved Zan just the same amount. Was that possible? Reminding her own self that she was in another timeline where anything was possible, she reassured him, "No, you're not. You're Zan."

"Good. Jus' so we clear on dat," he said, rolling off her and onto his back. "Right," he mumbled to himself, rubbing his stomach. Liz could feel her body tingle at the sight of Zan's hand touching his own abs. _God, his body is so…_ , thought Liz. She coyly wiped the side of her mouth to make sure she wasn't drooling. Getting off the bed, he revealed his incredible naked body to her. He placed his hand on his chest and with a glow of his hand, his clothes quickly reappeared onto his body. He was about to place his hand on Liz's arm to clothe her as well, but he changed his mind.

She was curled up in his bed like a sexy nymph. The sight turned him on like the many times of the sight of Liz. "I dink I like ya naked in mah bed," he said, playfully baring his teeth and snapping his teeth together as if he was trying to eat her. She pushed him away with a giggle. Suddenly, he looked uncomfortable. His eyes flickered back and forth from Liz to the door. "Uhhh…" He looked around, scratching his head, unsure of what to do.

Liz snuggled into the blankets some more, slightly cocooning herself, and smiled at him with a playful roll of her eyes. "Let me guess, you've never done this before," she chuckled out.

"Done wha'?"

She wanted to kiss him senseless just at how adorably dumb he was at the moment. "You know… Sleeping in, sticking around _after_ the girl wakes up, making conversation, dealing with the aftermath," she said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.

Zan smirked at the sight of the blanket dangerously falling to expose her breasts. Scratching his unshaven jaw, he replied, "Guess not. Nuttin' worth stickin' 'round for, ya know?"

She couldn't stop the grin from forming on her lips. She knew Zan was a lady's man, she knew she was number a billion something in the girls he slept with, but who would have thought that she would be the first to actually see Zan after sex—to truly see him. She felt special. She felt honored. She felt… Catching what Zan was staring at, she giggled and pulled the blanket down, exposing herself from the waist up. She made a point to take a look at herself. "If I should say so myself," she teased, trailing her fingers down the crevice of her breasts, "I think _this_ is worth sticking around for." Zan stood there flabbergasted, which was something he never did. She grabbed his hands and pulled him back to bed. She scooted closer to him, still sitting up.

"Oh definitely," he breathed out as his mouth latched onto one of her nipples. It was hard and pressed up against the roof of his mouth. His tongue lazily dragged along the tip, enjoying the taste that was uniquely Liz. Her mouth parted in a heavy pant. _Sex machine, Zan, you're a fucking sex machine_ , she thought to herself. While his mouth lavished at her, his hand cupped the other mound, pitching her nipple. She squirmed as a shock of electricity travelled down to between her legs. She could feel her vagina walls clench, wishing he was inside of her. She wanted more. Tugging at his hair and pulling him off her breasts, she sloppily kissed him. "You taste good," he panted as he nibbled on her lips.

"Mmhhmm, so do you," She quickly said in between kisses, her tongue dueling with Zan in a fight for dominance.

Pulling away, he pulled her legs so she was lying flat down on the mattress. He admired her naked body. She was soft to the touch and she was … She was perfection. Trailing his burning tongue from her ankle to the inside of her thigh, he closed his eyes and heavily breathed in her scent—spicy, his favorite. Burying his head in between her legs, he finally tasted her true flavor. "Zan!" cried Liz. His tongue sought out her folds as if he was discovering a lost civilization. She tasted like ambrosia. He swirled around her clit before moving to her slit. He thrust his tongue into her opening over and over again like a miniature cock. He'd never tasted anything as good as this and he never wanted to stop. He wanted to feel her walls on his tongue. He wanted to feel her clamp down on him. He wanted to make her come into his mouth. He looked up while he was lapping at her juices to find Liz pinching her own nipples. His hand quickly shot down to his penis and squeezed, trying to keep himself from coming right there at the sight of Liz groping herself.

Slowly her fingers trailed down her body and began to search for her clit. She needed to come. God, the things he was doing to her… She knew he could kiss, but god, his tongue! When her index finger dived into between her folds, Zan licked at her finger and batted her hand away. She mewed in desperation.

"You want to come that badly?" he asked with a glint in his eyes. His finger lightly trailed around her opening, teasing her. He could feel her walls trying to suck his finger in.

"Yes, I want to come," said Liz, breathlessly. "Make me come, Zan."

He smirked. "I'll make you come. I'll make you come so hard you won't come back down for hours," he growled. Giving her clit one last lick, he dissolved his clothes once again and quickly buried himself inside her.

He was right; she didn't come back down for hours.

* * *

**December 13, 2000, Wednesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz Parker was glad to have her life go back to normal. Well, as normal as it could have been. Max was talking to her again and this time around, he was trying really hard to be friends, _just_ friends. Hell, Max hadn't even punched Kyle but then again, he hadn't talked to him, not once. He mostly ignored him, but Kyle was fine with that, never really liking Max in the first place. After all, Max stole Liz from him and threw him into an intergalactic world of the unknown that went against all his beliefs. But all in all, the group hung out like they never did before. There were no FBI agents chasing after them. There were no evil aliens ready to take over the world. Not yet anyway, Liz often pondered. In this moment, to anyone looking from afar, they were simply teenagers having the time of their lives.

Despite everything going back to "normal," Liz couldn't help but feel like there was a dark cloud hovering over her head. She knew things wouldn't last this way for very long. In fact, she knew too much. Ever since she slept with Future-Max, she began to have flashes, like the ones she had gotten with Max but they were not as clear. They were more like blurred images with an explosion of emotions with each visual. It was as if her senses were heightened by a thousand times. She couldn't make sense of it all, but she knew they were past memories of Future-Max. She didn't understand why she was having flashes of his life since he was gone.

When she went to bed at night, she would wake up in cold sweat, frightened by the dark. She felt everything Future-Max had felt: weak and worn out, the grief with the unstoppable tears, and oh god, the smell and taste of blood—lots of it. She couldn't even imagine what he had gone through. She only knew that everyone he cared about had died and judging from these dream flashes, he had killed many as well in return. She couldn't help but feel as if the blood, literally and figuratively, was on her own hands. No matter how many times she showered and scrubbed till her skin turned almost bleeding red, the blood was still there.

She had an idea of what was to come in the future, but not knowing how much of the future she had changed, she was at a disadvantage. Will the enemies still take over the Earth? Will Tess still leave or will she be with Max now? The big question was, will this future turn out to be for the best when compared to Future-Max's own lifetime? Or will it turn out to be for the worse?

Afraid of what was to come, she mentally prepared herself for the day when she would see her family and friends die. It wasn't like her to be this morbid, to be this cold, but something about feeling what Future-Max had felt changed her. Future-Max's character influenced her, not necessarily for the better, but not for the worst either. Being a leader was always a quality Max had, but what Future-Max became was different from the Max she knew now. He was older, colder, and fearless in the decisions he made, not caring who would be affected. Her Max was headstrong but he always weighed his decisions that were the best for everyone. Liz was able to think as a whole instead of just worrying only about her friends and family. She, like Future-Max, was now able to make a decision without in regards to others. She didn't like this new side of herself, but she had to embrace it. Someone had to be prepared, someone had to be ready for the worst, and that somebody was her, seeing as no one knew what she knew.

She knew the tremendous power that the Granilith held. She had a feeling that she knew where it was located, but the blurred visuals didn't help her make sense of anything. But what she didn't know was how to keep it safe and from having it fall into the wrong hands, or how to tell her friends about it. Surely they would ask questions. How would Liz, a human, know more than the aliens did about their own technology? How could she explain her knowledge of the future?

Restless, her nights were. She would get no more than a few hours of sleep before she woke up in a state of panic. Staring back at the Crashdown's bathroom mirror now, she saw her cheeks had sunken in. The bags under her eyes that were never there before were now present. She had lost so much weight and she knew this without even weighing herself. She could feel her ribs underneath her work uniform. With a sigh, she rubbed her face with her hands in frustration. She was tired and it was etched all over her face and body.

"Liz?" asked a voice on the other side of the bathroom door.

Recognizing Maria's voice, Liz turned on the sink faucet and filled her cup with warm water, popping a Tylenol. "I'll be right out!" she replied, settling the cup down on the sink countertop. Straightening out her clothes, she walked out to find her best friend with her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong?" asked Liz. _Oh god_ , thought Liz. _Does Maria know I'm hiding something from her? Does she suspect something?_

"Rush hour, that's what!" said Maria, placing her hands on Liz's shoulder and pushing her back into the packed diner. Liz felt relived—Maria didn't know.

As they walked into the crowded diner, Liz saw Alex and Kyle sitting by the counter. "Hey guys," she said. She tried to smile, but she couldn't fake it as well anymore. Her smiles looked more strained, but she tried.

Kyle gave her a look from head to toe. "You look like hell!"

"Oh, thanks Kyle. That's so _nice_ of you," she said, glaring at him.

Alex placed his hand on her arm. "My god, your arm… It's like pencil thin! Liz, we love you and all, but seriously, have you been eating? You're like a walking skeleton."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "Very unattractive, Parker."

Liz narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course, I'm eating! It doesn't seem to be going anywhere."

"I'd kill to have my food go nowhere on my body," said Maria who just gave in an order to the cook and joined in on the conversation.

"It's nothing. I just can't sleep. Nightmares, you know?"

"Oh man, I once had nightmares for a whole week!" replied Maria. "It was when I first found out about the Czechoslovakians, you know? I was afraid they were going to rip my head off with their tentacles."

"They don't have tentacles," said Alex.

"Well, that was before when I thought they did."

Kyle went off to talk about his nightmare that involved a blonde model trying to sleep with him and then having Buddha yell at him for giving in to his bodily pleasure. Liz rolled her eyes. As much as she loved her friends, they were clueless sometimes. Picking up an order freshly made by José, she went to give it to the customer.

"Here you go," she said with another fake smile.

The bells on the diner doors rang and she looked up to see the pod squad walking in. Max gave her a small smile while Michael nodded at her and Isabel waved. Tess gave her a look that made Liz uncomfortable. It was a mixture of a glare and a you're-up-to-something look. There was no friendliness in her face. She watched as Tess grabbed Max's arm and led him to a booth. Looking away in disgust, Maria knowingly bumped into her. "God, look at that gerbil! She's clinging to him as if it was the end of the world." Liz looked away, staring at her feet. Those oh so familiar words, _the end of the world_ , repeated in her mind. Then the next thing she knew was the floor was pulling out from under her feet. She could faintly hear Maria yell her name from afar, even though she was right next to her.

She realized she never hit the ground and felt a pair of arms around her. Focusing her eyes, she realized she was in Max's arms. "Liz, what's wrong? Are you okay?" asked a worried Max, pushing her hair out of her face. And that's when the flashes came.

**Flash** : _"I love you Liz," whispered Future-Max as he cupped Liz's face and slid into her body_.

**Flash** : _"Harder," she whimpered as she clung onto Future-Max's shoulders. More, she wanted more. Their bodies set in a rhythm, rocking back and forth_.

**Flash** : _"I love you," she moaned as her head flew back in orgasmic pleasure_.

While the flashes were playing like a video, she pulled away, afraid of letting Max see. "NO!" she screamed, moving away from him. Trying to stand up, she crumbled towards the floor. She let out a blood-chilling scream as she felt her body tear into two. She was in so much pain. She couldn't breathe. It was as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked out by a vacuum.

**Flash** : _"You're going to get what you deserve, bitch!" yelled Tess as her hand closed around Liz's neck_.

**Flash** : _"You're going to die just like they all did!" screamed Khivar as light emitted from his hand_.

**Flash** : _It was night time and the clouds decided to cry. Future-Max and Future-Liz were running down the streets of Roswell, wounded and weary. When they got to the safety of the Crashdown, they tried to regain their strength. "They're dead, they're_ all _dead!" sobbed Future-Liz as she broke down. Future-Max held her in his arms, crying into her hair_.

Then the flashes stopped. The pain in her body quickly stopped when the visuals ceased, but her head throbbed furiously. Her eyes darted all around the café, sickened by the curious stares of the customers on her. She looked over at Max and saw nothing but coldness in his eyes. Her stomach lurched and she felt the contents of her stomach rise up her throat. _Oh god_ , she thought to herself. Getting up on her feet, she ran out of the diner and up to her bedroom's bathroom where she began to try to throw up what felt like her entire stomach organ.

* * *

Liz spent the rest of the day in her room with her friends acting like mother-hens, constantly hovering over her to make sure she was comfortable. She wasn't comfortable. She was in silent agony. She hadn't spoken since she saw the hardness in Max's eyes. They reminded her a little of Future-Max's cold eyes when he was telling her what happened in his world. How _much did he see?_ wondered Liz. If Max saw what she thought he saw, it was all over. All of Future-Max's efforts would be wasted.

"Liz, honey, tell me what's wrong…" said Maria as she laid next to Liz, softly stroking her hair. Alex was lying down on the other side of Liz. "Liz, you can tell us anything," he said. Kyle sat on what little space was left for him on the bed. Alex and Maria cocooned her in their arms with Kyle resting against her legs.

"I—" Liz started, but choked on her hiccups. The tears were now rapidly overflowing down her face. "I never asked for any of this. I never asked for any of it!" she sobbed.

"Asked for what?" they asked, but Liz didn't say anything else. She just cried. She couldn't tell them. She was truly alone and in pain. _Damn you, Max, damn you for doing this to me!_ , she cried silently in her head.

Meanwhile Liz was crying, Max was sitting in the Crashdown booth with Michael, Isabel, and Tess. He stared hard at the table with his jaw clenched so tight that his teeth would have been worn down to the gums. The rest of the pod squad were all trying to process what happened, but it was hard seeing as no one knew what happened… except for Max. It was all so sudden. One moment Liz was fine and the next thing she was on the ground, screaming as if she was about to die.

Michael was the first to speak up, always unafraid to voice out his thoughts. "Do you want to explain to us what happened, Maxwell?"

"I don't even know what happened myself," replied Max, still blankly staring at the table

Isabel frowned. "You saw something, didn't you?" she asked, knowing full too well of the connection Liz and her brother had.

"I don't want to talk about it" was his answer.

Persistent on finding out what happened, Michael sternly said, "Just tell us what you saw."

Max sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this. Perhaps it was time to tell them. Then maybe he wouldn't feel so alone, so burdened, so hurt. "Liz… She… She…"

"She?" said Tess, trying to get him to finish his sentence.

"She cheated on me."

Both Isabel and Michael said, "She what?" Tess looked almost pleased for a moment as if she had expected Liz to do that and quickly covered it by frowning.

"She slept with Kyle. I—… I knew this already."

"Oh my god, Kyle?" Isabel said in disbelief.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Michael. Max remained silent.

"What happened, Max?" asked Tess, placing her hand over his, urging him to continue. Comfort, that was what she was offering to him.

"Today, when I caught her, I saw her… Oh god!" Max said, gulping. He finally met their shocked eyes with his own tear-filled ones. He was trying to make sense of what he saw, but deep down, he knew what he saw. "I saw her cheat on me. I caught her red-handed, but this time, oh god! I _saw_ and _felt_ her cheat on me through her eyes!"

* * *

**December 15, 2000, Friday; New York City.**

"Do we hafta, angel?" asked Zan with a frown on his face.

"You know we have to," replied Future-Liz.

"But why can't we jus' stay here a little longer? We could fuck some more," he said, waving his eyebrows at her in a suggestive manner.

Liz smiled. "As appealing as that sounds, you know we can't. The longer we wait, the less chance we have to save this world."

"I just… I just…" _I just don't want you to leave me_ was what Zan really wanted to say, but he couldn't get the words out. He was never good with words, but he knew if they went now, his time with Liz will be cut short and he didn't want to let her go.

Liz laced her fingers with his. "I know, I know." He didn't want her to leave and she didn't want to leave, but it was for the best. This wasn't her time; she didn't belong here. If things didn't change, it would be a bloodbath all over again.

They walked out of his bedroom, hand-in-hand, and sat down on the couch in the living room. Ava, Lonnie, and Rath were already sitting there, waiting for them.

"Finally, da horndogs appear!" smirked Rath. "If ya guys stopped fuckin' like rabbits for a sec, we could've—"

"Rath, shut da fuck up!" yelled Zan. Future-Liz only blushed. "We jus' needed to talk."

"More like tryin' to hump each other."

Zan glared at his second-in-command. "Jus' 'cause ya ain't gettin' any from Lon 'ere, don't mean ya gotta git up on mah case. We already discussed the plan. Rath, ya said so yerself earlier: we leave tomorrow. I ain't got much to pack, so I'm good to go."

Rath pouted. "I git plenty." Lonnie shook her head, mouthing the word "No" to Liz.

Ignoring Rath, Ava said, "I already git the car." She winked and tapped of her index finger to her temple. "Gotta give props to da warps," she said with a chuckle.

"Now if ya can bag a guy wit'out warpin' him," teased Lonnie.

"Piss off! Ya just jealous 'cause Rath gets all Tarzan-ape-shit when some ass comes near ya wit' his cock hangin' out," retorted Ava.

No matter how many times Liz told herself that this Ava wasn't her Tess, she couldn't help but feel dread. Mind-warp—it was a power with no limitations. Ava and Tess could get anyone to see and do whatever they wanted all by simply using their power and their imagination. To her, it was like gift-wrapping and handing Hitler an atom bomb as a present. But slowly, Liz was beginning to like Ava. She was so different from Tess. Ava was spunky and kind. She never said anything bad, unless provoked. One thing Liz had liked a great deal about Ava and that was she didn't believe in the whole destiny crap. She had told Liz that Zan and her slept together a few times but that was in the past. They were nothing more towards each other than just siblings whereas Tess was constantly persistent on making Max hers.

"'ey, I'm jus' lookin' out for her," Rath replied.

"Lookin' out! More like acting like a jealous gorilla," Ava said in disbelief.

"Wha' was dat, pipsqueak? Say it again," he said, wielding his fist in the air, "or you'll meet Mr. Fist."

Ava smirked, unafraid. "I SAID—"

"Yo, ya two chill it out, okay?" said Lonnie with a roll of her eyes. "Ava, stop pickin' on Rath. You know he's a juvenile. Rath, stop actin' like I'm yer girl."

"But yer are mah girl!"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe, but ya don't see meh goin' crazy on yer ass when ya got some hoe suckin' on yer dick." Rath half-pouted and half-scowled. He was trapped. He didn't like seeing Lonnie with other men, but for him, he didn't mind being with other chicks. "Anyway, back to the plan—I gots the cash," Lonnie replied. "ATMs suck when up against the mojo of an intergalactic person."

"I got nothin'," said Rath with a huge smile.

"I got—" Zan started, but was cut off by Rath.

"A shitload of condoms?"

"Fuck off, Rath!"

Liz cursed at herself silently. They didn't use a condom, not once in the _billion_ times they've slept together.


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All spellings errors in this chapter are deliberate.
> 
> Author's Note: I'm sorry if there are any mistakes in the directions or time span. I got the directions and time off of Yahoo Maps.

_I've been searching for you._ _  
I heard a cry within my soul._ _  
I've never had a yearning quite like this before.  
Know that you are walking right through my door._

 _All of my life, where have you been?_ _  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._ _  
And if that day comes, I know we could win.  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._

_A sacred gift of heaven for better worse, wherever.  
And I would never let somebody break you down until you cried, never._

_All of my life, where have you been?  
_ _I wonder if I'll ever see you again._ _  
And if that day comes, I know we could win.  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._

 _At every time I've always known  
_ _that you were there, upon your throne,_ _  
a lonely queen without her king.  
I longed for you, my love forever._

 _All of my life, where have you been?_ _  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._ _  
And if that day comes, I know we could win.  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._

_I wonder if I'll ever see you again.  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again._

" **Again," Lenny Kravitz**.

* * *

**December 16-18, 2000, Saturday-Monday; New York.**

Today was the day— _the_ day. They were leaving their birthplace, the only home they knew, to wander across country to save their twins' asses. Strangers were more like it. The dupes had never done anything for others except look out for each other. It felt odd to be doing a good deed, or about to do a good deed. It was unlike their natural. They didn't know what to make of it, but trusting Future-Liz, they let her guide them.

The gang piled into the vehicle, bringing barely anything with them. No one liked the car Ava had picked out. No, correction: it was a beat-up van, not a car, and they abhorred it. It had a foul smell as if homeless people had taken shelter in it once, and Lonnie was sure something was growing in the corners by the second.

"Av', couldn't you git like a betta car? Somethin' betta than dis crap?" Lonnie asked.

"This van feels like it's gonna explode under mah ass any sec," said Zan as he focused on driving.

Ava made a 'whatever' face at them. "It's a wha'—three days drive? Suck it up. We lived in shittier places than dis."

"Yeah, dat was before. We stronger now. Dudette, we're fuckin' aliens. You coulda picked somethin' betta," said Lonnie, cringing as her hand came into contact with something sticky beside her.

Zan looked over at Liz who didn't look pleased either. He turned back to Ava. "You bring shame to us aliens," he said in the most serious voice ever before cracking a smile. "We may be clones and on Earth, but we still royalty, ya know."

Ava raised her middle finger in the air with a brave "I-don't-care" face. "Fuck you, Zan!"

"Naw, Av', no need. I got mah Angel here for dat. She's real good at satisfyin' meh too," he said with a wink to Liz who ended up squirming and blushing.

Rath rolled his eyes at the banter as Ava decided to spew sentence after sentence filled with profanities. Getting annoyed, he wondered if they would argue the entire way to Roswell and quickly in fear, he decided to do something about it. He didn't want to hear them blabber on and on about something so stupid. He waved his glowing hand around the van, trying to clean it up with his powers. "Betta?" he asked.

Ava and Lonnie shared a look of disbelief before bursting out in laughter. "Rath, the housewife," Lonnie chuckled out. "Ya couldn't clean shit if it were yer ass doin' the shittin'."

Zan cringed and looked away. "Man, if ya ever wanna be seen as a man again, don't do dat." With that said, Ava and Lonnie began to do some real 'home' cleaning.

Zan started the car and pulled out of its parking space. Ava, Lonnie, and Rath were sitting in the back on the cushions they took from their couch while Zan and Liz were sitting in the front seats. Zan kept glancing over at his angel, worried. They left bright and early today, but since Liz woke up, she had been sort of pale and weak. She brushed it off as if it was just a simple bug, but he knew better. He tried to make her as comfortable as she could be by bringing several pillows and a blanket (reserved only for her, which kind of angered the rest of the group that he didn't bring any for them). She felt guilty accepting them, but couldn't help but squeal inside at Zan's loving gesture.

"Angel," he said, glancing off the road for a quick second. "You's okay?"

"I'm fine, Zan," she said, smiling at him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." She felt pretty much okay, but she couldn't help but feel as if something had changed in her. Everything felt more in tuned as if her nerves were on fire and she was sensitive to everything. When she had woken up this morning, the light in her eyes seemed brighter than normal. The water she splashed on her face felt cooler than before. The coffee tasted bitterer. The toast felt crunchier. The steps under her feet were harder than before. She couldn't explain it, but felt like she was really living now.

From their calculations, it would take roughly three days to get to Roswell. Thankfully these next few days were going to be clear, but chilly, skies. Rath had printed a map of the directions to Roswell from New York from the internet in the library. He hated the library only because the librarians kept giving him dirty looks like he was scum, like he was that irritating piece of gum under someone's shoe. He never understood why he received those looks. They stared at him strangely as if he was prancing around naked in front of them, but he was wearing clothes! He had taken a look at himself to see what was wrong with him—his Mohawk was standing up proudly (not a strand misplaced), a chain hung from his belt loop, his leather vest was in place, and his tattered jeans showed just how muscular his legs were. He looked good, so what was the librarians' problem? Lonnie had to literally drag him out of the library after the printouts were done before he could confront the elderly librarians.

"Man, I gotta piss," said Rath as he cupped himself through his jeans.

"Dude, we haven't even git past da tolls of N.J. yet," Ava replied.

"Hey, when my bladder's gotta go, its gotta go."

With that, Lonnie smacked Rath on the side of his head. Zan cursed, feeling that they would never get there as planned. How were they going to be able to travel to the home of the Aliens when they couldn't even act like civilized people for half an hour? Liz only smiled because it felt as if she was home. It was refreshing to see the group fight and argue, and then act like nothing had happened. They were so different from the group she knew in her timeline. Staring out the window with her head resting against her arms, she watched the trees fly by past her and listened to the group talk with a serene smile as the wind caressed her face.

If the road seemed long then, it was just the beginning. Reaching Pennsylvania four hours later, they took a bathroom break and decided to grab a bite at a trucker-friendly diner. The group, missing Zan and Liz who decided to stay in the van, stood on the line to pay for the burgers. "Fuck's sake, if dat was only four hours, how am I goin' last till Roswell?" cried Ava in agony, stretching out her body. Stretching had never felt so good before. She blew the purple-streaked blonde bangs out of her eyes in relief as she stood on her tippy toes, stretching her arms into the air. Her white tank top started to rise, revealing the glittering belly button piercing. This caught the attention of an oversized trucker who took off his hat and rubbed his hand across his balding head as if he was really rubbing his lower area. She grimaced and turned around, avoiding his view. "Fuck, this blows!" she said to Lonnie. "If I'm facin' him, I'm showin' him mah tits. If I turn 'round, I show him mah ass."

Sensing Ava's frustration, she stood behind Ava, getting in the face of the trucker. Lonnie was hot—she had a killer body, luscious lips, and piercing green eyes—but when she was angry and wanted to fight, all backed down. She stood till her nose almost touched the other guy's. "Ya starin' at mah little sis a lil too hard there, trucker-boy. Ya got a problem?"

The trucker began to stutter, unsure whether to throw a flirtatious line at the tall blonde or to run away from her. He noticed a man in similar fashion behind her. The man was smirking at him as if he knew what was going to happen and then smacked his fist into his other open hand as if to say "Just try it and I'll show you what's going to happen to your face." To save his dignity, he plopped the hat back onto his head and left; the bell above the door rang a little faster and louder than normal.

Rath smiled as the man took off with his tail between his legs. That was his girl! He dropped his arm over at Ava out of comfort. He then took out a box of cards from his vest pocket. "I got cards! Let's play some strip poker!" It was the only thing he swiped from the gas station before they left New York. He forgot to take some porn magazines, which left him kind of sad.

"You're such a fuckin' 'tard, Rath," Ava replied. "Ain't no one gonna strip for ya."

"Fine, then. Regular poker?"

"Imagine playin' cards for ten hours," said Lonnie, making a face. What she was really saying was "Imagine playing cards with Rath from Pennsylvania to Indiana for ten hours."

Together, the girls gave each other a distressed look. Rath made a "huh" noise in confusion as to why they were so opposed to playing cards. Paying for and grabbing the burgers, they walked back to the parked van when they noticed it was slightly rocking back and forth.

"Goddamnit, fucking horndogs!" yelled Rath, kicking the tire in anger.

Ava's nose gave a twitch while Lonnie made a gagging noise. They chose a seat across the parking lot and sat down, eating their burgers and watching the van rock. When it finally had come to end, they aired out of the van to get rid of the sex smell and climbed back into the van with Rath taking the wheels. Lonnie moved up to the front seat with Zan, Liz, and Ava in the back. While Zan was leaning against the van's wall, Liz cuddled up beside him.

"So how was it?" asked Ava, her eyebrow rising up in curiosity. She was asking about the sex.

Liz couldn't stop the smile that went from ear to ear. "It was fan-fucking-taste."

"Damn straight!" said Zan, planting a wet kiss on his girl's cheek.

Rath drove from Ohio to Indiana, which took roughly ten hours, only stopping for gas halfway through. He had to blast rock music in his player just to keep him up. Ten hours of sitting and absolutely no coffee—no wonder his ass was numb. Not to mention, the bathroom break in Pennsylvania didn't do him any good. Within the first three hours of driving, he had to go again. It didn't help very much when "Splash of Water (My Home)" by Metallica started playing on his player. Over and over again, all he heard was "Splash of water… Splash of water… Splash of water." Once the van stopped, everyone ran out of the van and into the bathrooms.

"Oh my god, peein' never felt _sooooooo_ good," groaned Ava in pleasure as she felt herself get lighter by the second as she hovered over the toliet.

"Tell me about it," snickered Liz in the stall over.

"Hurry up, bitches. I gots to go!" screamed Lonnie, pounding on their stall doors.

Over at the men's stall, Zan and Rath were relieving themselves with an empty wall hung urinal in between them, of course. As the noise of water streaming filled the air, Zan looked over at a closed-eyed Rath who had a hand flat against the tile wall. "You okay, man?" he smirked.

Still with his eyes closed, Rath stood up straighter and started to bend a little backwards. He replied, "Don't talk to me. You's interruptin' a _beautiful_ thing" and continued to empty his bladder. Zan laughed at the sight of Rath looking like he had just gone to heaven.

Once all satisfied, they decided to eat dinner at a local diner for about an hour. They were all tired and bored to death. Ten hours of card playing, silly arguments, and sleeping—it was more than they could handle after being cooped up in a small area for so long. They took up two booths because they all wanted room to stretch out. Rath was in his own booth while Lonnie and Ava sat across from Zan and Liz. A waitress came by and took their order.

"Ten hours!" cried Lonnie as she lowered herself further down on the chair and stretched out her legs till they collided with Liz's.

"Ten fuckin' hours!" growled Rath, aggravated by the boredom as he dropped his head down onto his arms. He was beyond exhausted.

Ava just let out a small whine and curled up next to Lonnie with her head resting against her friend's shoulder. As the waitress placed their plates of food down, they dug into the food as if they hadn't eaten in days. Liz took pity on them. If only they could will themselves to Roswell in a blink of an eye, they would. _Poor guys. If I could make this easier on them, I would. Where were the spaceships when you needed them_ , she thought. Zan stuffed his mouth with food with one hand and his other arm was slung over her shoulder. For some reason, her burger tasted even better with Zan around.

Just as Rath took a few sips of his steaming cup of coffee goodness, Zan spoke. "Guys, no coffee. That's gonna git ya to go some more—harder and faster. It's a laxative too, ya know." As soon as he processed his friend's words, Rath spit out the coffee, making a mess of his booth. After holding his bladder for ten hours, he wasn't ready to go through that ordeal again.

"Smart, asshole," smirked Lonnie, running her fingers lazily through his mohawk.

When dinner was over and they filled up the gas tank, it was Liz's turn to be behind the wheel. Ava and Lonnie were snoring softly while Rath was half-dozing off and half-listening to his Metallica albums, which gave Liz something to laugh about, seeing that Michael liked Metallica as well. Zan was leaning against the van door, watching her drive. He liked how the moonlight hit her skin, making her glow. Her eyes sparkled and her lips glimmered. She was a true goddess in his eyes.

A little unnerved by his stare, she quickly glanced over. "What?"

"You're beautiful, ya know that?"

She blushed and grinned. "I bet you say that to all the pretty girls."

With a wink, he replied, "I said beautiful, not pretty." Again, she could only smile. Despite how good Zan made her feel, she felt worse physically than this morning, but she hid it well. Her stomach felt cold if it was even possible. Her eyes felt a little drier and her limbs felt a little numb. She took some aspirin and put on an I'm-well face. It helped that it was night, masking most of her semi-pale face in the dark.

Then Zan placed his hand on Liz's hip. "What are you doing?" she hissed at him, trying to keep focused on the road. He gave her a wink and then his hand slid under her shirt where his talented fingers found her already hard nipple and gave it a pinch. Despite feeling unwell, she could not keep her body from reacting from Zan's touch. Gasping, her hands unconsciously slipped from the steering wheel causing the van to swerve. Quickly getting her bearings back with her hands firmly on the wheel, Zan growled a "be careful" into her ear before placing wet kisses down her neck. She tried her best to keep the van on the straight road, but it was hard when an impossibly sexy man was touching her. "Zan, stop. It's too dangerous and the others might wake up!" she hissed.

"Yeah, but isn't it such a turn on?" he smirked as he cupped her heat through her jeans. She gasped at the pressure. "The danger of gittin' caught, the danger that we could crash… Doesn't dat jus' make it all more hot?" Unsnapping her pants, his fingers dipped into her the waistband of her panties and found their way past the soft curls to her nub. Liz stared at him with frightened eyes.

"Zan, don't— _Oh god!_ " she moaned out as his finger made contact with her clitoris. She couldn't stop herself from pressing her lower area harder against his finger.

"Fuck, you're so wet," he said in a husky voice as her juices coated his fingers. He felt the soft but hard button under his finger. Softly rubbing against it, Liz shivered and tried to keep her moans to herself. His fingers then dipped lower. Knowing what he wanted to do and unable to stop herself, she scooted lower into her seat all the while trying to drive in a straight line. His index finger sank into her wet and willing core. He could feel her clench her walls around his finger. As best as he could, he began to thrust his finger in and out of her.

"More," she whimpered out, trying to spread her legs as wide as she can while keeping her foot on the gas pedal. She heard a groan erupt from Zan's throat and all was forgotten as his middle finger entered her as well. She needed more. With one hand on the wheel, she placed her other hand over Zan's, helping him. With his free hand, he traced her lips and she sucked in one of his digits. Her tongue swirled around the tip of his finger, showing what she would do to him if it was his cock in her mouth. He watched as her pink tongue darted out to caress his finger. God, how he wanted to pull them over and take her outside against the van.

As his finger fell from her mouth, he placed his hand on the steering wheel, navigating the wheels. Liz quickly dropped her hand from the steering wheel, letting Zan take control of the car. She leaned as far back as she could as Zan's fingers found her g-spot. His fingers began to roughly and clumsily enter her. She watched as his hand move inside from outside her pants. For some reason, instead of actually seeing his hand playing with her, the image of his covered hand turned her on. She couldn't see what was happening, but she could feel what was happening. As she heavily panted in replacement of her moans, she stared at Zan who was watching her intently. Her eyes widened at the look of lust all over his face.

"You're so fuckin' sexy, so fuckin' beautiful," he said, licking his lips at the sight of her heaving breasts. "Show me, show 'em to me," he ordered. Knowing exactly what he was referring to, with her free hand, she pulled down the front of her tank top, exposing her breasts to him. Once the sight of her nipples came into view, he quickly bent down to her breast, latching onto one of the brown circles. She bit into her fist to stop herself from screaming in pleasure as his teeth gently sunk down. His thumb then began to rub at her nub without breaking the rhythm of his fingers. He pulled away, taking in the sight of her wet nipple from his mouth. He captured her gaze with his.

"Zan," she whimpered, her fist falling away from her mouth. He pressed his forehead against hers, enjoying her heavy breathing against his lips. She was so close, he could feel it. Her walls were quivering around his fingers. He then pressed down on her nub. Her body stiffened, knowing she was going to come.

"You feel so wet—soppin' wet. Do you feel that? You're soaking wet for me," he growled as he felt more of her juices coating his hand. With a flick of his finger, it came. Her eyes grew wide. Her pants grew louder and heavier. She unconsciously pressed her foot down on the accelerator as her glazed eyes continued to stare into Zan's. The van hummed with speed, the engine growing rowdier. She rode his hand till she could no longer handle it anymore. He enjoyed the fearful look that darted across her face when she was about to come. He relished how she panted her orgasm out in order not to wake the others with screams. He loved the sight and feeling of her body. When she recovered, he removed his fingers from her. She lessened the pressure on the pedal and placed her shaking hands on the steering wheel again, trying her damn best to focus on the road. He popped his fingers into his mouth and licked them. "Tasty," he smirked with a wink. Liz could only fluster.

When they reached the border of Oklahoma, which was five and half hours later, Lonnie took the wheel. She took a look in the back and saw that everyone was sleeping—Liz was cuddled face first into Zan with her legs tangled with his and one of her hands on her stomach. Zan's arm was slung over Liz protectively with his other hand cupping her ass to him. Ava was sleeping behind Rath with her knee digging into his back, which caused Rath to yell out in his sleep and unconsciously hit Ava every once in a while. Focusing her eyes back on the road, Lonnie groaned at the endless darkness in front of her.

"Lucky bastards," she said, wanting to go back to sleep herself. Shivering at the cold, she placed her hand over the vents and made the heat blast out. When she got the halfway to Oklahoma, she stopped at a gas station, filling up the fuel. She didn't bother to wake the others, almost enjoying the serene sight, but mostly because she didn't want to hear another argument between Rath and Ava. She continued to drive till they got to Amarillo, Texas. She couldn't help but snort when she saw a sign on the way that read, "The road does not end."

"You's tellin' me," she said to herself, feeling as if the road kept on going and going.

A little past Amarillo, it was Ava's turn. As she lazily rubbed her eyes, she took in the sight of nature all around her. She never saw this kind of view before. It was all buildings and cars in New York. It was all grass, trees, and rocks. To Ava, the city life she once knew never felt further away before. She drove through Canyon in the Randall County of Texas. Liz woke up just in time to see the welcome sign of Hereford. Her head pounded like a migraine. She ached all over the place. Yep, she was feeling a lot worse than yesterday. Detaching herself from Zan's arm, she stood up as much as she could in the van, ignoring the pain in her empty stomach. She placed her hand on Ava's shoulder and gave her a weak smile.

"Ava, can we take a detour? I want to show you guys something."

She nodded and with Liz's instruction, she drove them to Earth, Texas in an hour. The sun was starting to rise in the morning sky. It was a beautiful sight. It wasn't something one could see in New York. The land seemed to go on and on, and the sky was so vast. The clouds looked like dollops of whip cream. The grass swayed gently with the breeze. When they got to where Liz wanted to go, she woke up everyone else when they were at the border of Earth.

"Where are we?" said Rath, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled out of the van, still groggy.

Liz smiled and replied, "Earth."

"Ha ha, very funny. I know we on Earth, idiot," he said, shoving Liz.

Hearing Liz's yelp, Ava pointed to the sign and came to her defense. "No, you jerk, the location is called Earth."

Squinting at the sign, he shouted, "Population 1,109! Aren't peeps fuckin' in dis town?"

Lonnie and Ava only ignored Rath—they were far too used to his stupidity. Liz appeared behind Zan, slipping her hand into his as he stared at the sign before him. Reaching out, he traced the words: "Welcome to Earth." He could only smile and kiss Liz, letting her know how much he loved her bringing him here. Liz knew the gang never felt at home on Earth, the planet. They weren't welcomed with open arms and they had a tough life. They were left alone on a planet not like their own, left without answers as to who they were and why they had powers, left to fend for only themselves. This was just something she could give to them before she left. Something to show them that Earth _was_ their home.

"Thank you, Liz," he whispered against her lips.

She pulled away to look into his eyes. "I love you, Zan. Don't forget that."

"I won't."

"She'll love you too."

Zan blinked. "Who? What are ya talkin' 'bout?"

Liz knew she didn't have long. She finally understood why she was in pain. The numbness in her stomach was spreading to throughout her body. Her knees felt as if they were ready to buckle any second. Her body felt icy. " _She_ will love you too," she gasped as the tremors erupted within her.

"Liz, what are ya talkin' about? What are you talking about!" he yelled, growing increasingly angry. He didn't know what Liz was trying to tell him. _What is she talking about_ , he thought.

Then her knees finally gave out. She fell down, clutching onto her stomach. She wondered if it had been this painful when her Max disappeared. But this can't be! They hadn't even made it to Roswell yet. They haven't even—there was no possible way they already changed the future just by heading to Roswell. Something else was wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen this early. Something was wrong! She wasn't ready to go. She wasn't ready! Oh god, she wasn't ready to die!

"LIZ!" cried Zan, falling down with her.

The gang watched with worry etched on their faces. One minute they were fine and joking around; the next they saw their King and his lover on the ground.

"Oh god, I wish I had more time," she said weakly, clutching onto Zan's arms. _Please, not yet. Please, give me more time_ , she silently pleaded to the Gods. _I'm not ready! Oh god, what about the b—_

"No, Liz, NO!"

As she fought against ceasing, she could feel the beads of sweat slid down her face. Or were those her tears? Wiping her face with her sooty hand, she had to accept this was the coming now. This was the end. This was meant to be. She didn't want to leave this—him—but this was what she was meant to do. This wasn't her life. She didn't belong here. She had to let him know, before it was too late. She had to tell him. "I wish… I wish things turned out differently."

Zan held her in his hands, his thumbs wiping away her tears. His face was just as wet at Liz's. He knew what was happening and he didn't want it to happen. It was too early! He thought they had more time. He wasn't ready. "Angel, no! Baby, no, I love you," he cried.

"She will love you and she will give you the greatest gift ever," she weakly smiled through the shooting pain.

"No, don't talk. Please, please, don't leave me, please," cried Zan as he held Liz in his arms. Liz tried to memorize his face and as she tilted her face up to kiss him one last time, she disappeared before her lips could reach his. Zan felt his arms fold in together—he was hugging nothing but air.

"NOOOOO!" screamed Zan. His eyes darted everywhere for her but she was nowhere to be seen. She was gone. Gone. Seeing their king in pain and in need of comfort, Ava and Lonnie wrapped their arms around him. They tried to settle him down, but he was adamant on struggling against them as if they were the ones that took Liz away. "NOOOOO!" he continued to scream. He howled towards the sky in agony, causing the Earth sign to snap off in half and the wheels of the van exploded. As everything erupted around them, Zan could only keep screaming. The girls tried to soothe him, but Zan was too distraught, too far gone. Rath just sat on the ground, stunned that Liz was gone. It was a blow to the stomach for all of them, but clearly for Zan, he lost the love of his life. He, of course, was the one who took it the hardest. Clearing his dry throat amidst the screams, Rath remembered before they left their home in New York, Liz had told him what to do.

**Flashback** : _Liz quietly snuck up behind Rath who was curiously staring at a Playboy magazine. She watched as he tilted the magazine to the side and pulled out a poster of a big-breasted blonde girl with pink lips. Just as he was about to whistle at the naked woman, a voice spoke from behind him._

_"Wishing that was Lonnie?" she said, breaking the silence._

_Rath let out a yell, scrambling to hide the magazine when he caught sight of Liz. "What! What? NO!" he said, nervously. Porn was not something he wanted to look at with his so-called sister in the room._

_Liz could only laugh. She kneeled down in front of him, placing her hands on his knees with a funny smile. Then Rath began to look everywhere else but Liz. "Uhhh, Liz, you lookin' tight and all, but I don't want ya blowin' me," said Rath, pretending to rub his hands against his jeans only to really push Liz's hands off his legs._

_She slapped him on the arm. "Shut up, Rath! I'm not going to_ blow _you. I just need to talk, okay?"_

_"What about?"_

_"Zan needs you."_

_"Needs meh now?"_

_"No, but he needs you by his side."_

_"Durrf, I'm always by his side."_

_"No, I mean… Rath! Listen carefully. When you guys succeed, I'm going to disappear like I never came here in the first place. When I'm gone, Zan will need you."_

_He intently watched Liz. He saw that she was struggling not to think too much about disappearing, but she had to. She was thinking ahead, she was thinking of Zan's best interest. "Zan will need you when everything to him seems bleak, seems hopeless. Promise me, Rath. Promise me you'll be there for him to help him back on his feet. You'll help guide him to do the right thing. Promise me."_

_He took her hands in his and held them with a reassuring grip. "I promise, Liz. I promise."_

Liz had prepared him that day, letting him know what he had to do. So he stood up, pushed the two girls aside, and placed his hands on either side of Zan's shoulder, getting his friend to focus on him.

"Zan! Zan!" he yelled into Zan's face, getting his attention. "She's gone," he said.

"I want her back!"

"I do too, but she gone. _Gone_."

Zan choked on his cry. "I love her. I didn't get a chance to tell it to her more. I love her!"

"I know ya do. I know ya do and she knows too. Zan, trust me, she knows more than you think. But she wouldn't want ya to be like dis. We came here to do a mission and we's goin' to accomplish dat, okay, fearless leader? She wouldn't want her death to be for nothing. Okay, duke? Ya hear me?"

Zan nodded his head, trying to calm himself down as Rath's words seeped into his brain. Rath wasn't as cold-hearted as most thought. In the short time he knew Liz, he had grown to love her as his little sister. But life was tough and he knew that. His heart broke when she vanished before his eyes, but it was his job to snap Zan back to reality, to keep Zan balanced, to keep Zan in a leadership-mode.

Zan and Rath let themselves be embraced by a tearful Ava and Lonnie. They lost someone they cared for dearly today; they would need a moment to get their bearings.

Ava looked up at the bright sunny sky. How it contrasted them in this moment. She wanted to scream just like Zan had. It wasn't fair. Liz didn't deserve to disappear like that. Liz was one of the kindest people she had ever met. She did not deserve any of this.

Lonnie found comfort in Rath's arms. She knew Liz was going to be gone. She prepared herself for this, but still, she could not stop the tears from coming.

After two hours of tears, silence, and sitting on the side of the road, a silent Zan stood up and fixed the wheels. Without a word among the group, he drove them from Earth, Texas to Roswell, New Mexico in three hours.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines from "Meet The Dupes" (Season 2, Episode 8).
> 
> Please pay attention to the dates.
> 
> **WARNING: Attempted suicide and self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.**

_She's upset._ _  
Bad day._ _  
Heads for the dresser drawer to drive her pain away.  
Nothing good can come of this.  
She opens it. There's nothing.  
There is only left over tears…_

_Then she closed her eyes and found relief in a knife.  
The blood flows as she cries._

_All alone, the way she feels.  
Left alone to deal with all the pain-drenched sorrow relief.  
Bite the lip just forget the bleeding._

_Then she closed her eyes and found relief in a knife.  
The blood flows as she cries._

_Curled up, she's on the floor.  
Relief left her.  
She had hoped for something more from it,_ _(Hoped for something more) from it.  
He leans down to comfort her.  
She is weeping and he wraps his arms around,  
and around, and around, and..._

_The deeper you cut, the deeper I hurt.  
The deeper you cut, it only gets worse._

_Now she's slowly opening...  
Yeah, she's slowly opening...  
New eyes..._

_Then she opened her eyes  
and found relief through his life,  
and put down her knives._

_Then she opened her life  
and found relief through his eyes,  
and put down,  
she put down her life._

" **The Way She Feels," Between The Trees**.

* * *

**December 15, 2000, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz was lying down on her lawn chair, staring up at the glittery but tar pitted sky on her balcony. Her parents had gone off to a trip—something about seeing Venus in the sky. That meant she had the house to herself—all completely to herself. She shuddered at the thought. Empty was her house. It was quiet, dark—perhaps too quiet and too dark—and it frightened her. If her home had mice, she would've heard them squeaking about, but there weren't any. If she were pacing in her home, she would only hear her footsteps but instead she heard every single sound that came from outside her home. The tires of the single car driving down the wet pavement sounded as if she was underneath the car, being dragged along for the ride. The few chirps of grasshoppers irritated her like a song stuck in her head. Even the breeze annoyed her—she borderlined on warm and cold.

Looking around her, without even having to realize it, she knew she was alone. _How did I end up like this_ , she thought to herself with a sigh. She wasn't talking about her parents. She was talking about everyone else in her life. But she knew the reason why. She just didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to face it for the pain was too much for her to bear. If she had a choice, would she really stab herself in the eye with a pen just to face reality? No, she wouldn't. She would rather make it quick and easy like a bandaid so she could start healing as soon as possible.

While the stars twinkled, instead of being in awe of its beauty, she felt the stars mocked her. They gleamed at her with such happiness while she was in a state of agony. Tapping the pen in her hand lightly against her open journal on her lap, she glanced down at the black ink that was scribbled all over the gold lines with great big blots after each period—thought pauses, that's what they were. The radio hummed softly in the background, playing only, oh the irony, depressing music.

It had almost been a month since Future-Max visited her. Who knew a simple act would bring about so much pain? He had good intentions and that was to save his family and friends, but when he went to the past to change things, he made things worse for Liz. Granted it was better than everyone dying, but it was too soon to tell. What if this future was worse than Future-Max's lifetime? What if Tess still left? What if everyone died anyway? She sighed. There was no way Future-Max would have wanted this for her.

Once the rest of the group had found out what happened (it was only a matter of time before Michael told Maria, and Maria told Alex), the group quickly moved away from Liz like pepper in contact with dish soap. In their eyes, she was at fault. They all knew how Max and Liz felt about one another, but Liz sleeping with Kyle? It was so unlike her and this caused them to question if they really knew her in the first place. They didn't shun her completely, but they didn't come find her as much either. They still talked to her whenever they saw each other; it was more as respectful greetings. Alex and Maria tried to get her to open up (Kyle was smart to stay away for a while), but Liz was persistent on remaining silent. Sometimes, she just wanted to literally sewn her mouth shut just so they could see that she wouldn't tell them, that she would never tell them. Soon, the topic lingered in the air, unsaid. No one wanted to talk about it. Max was hurt by Liz's action and Liz was hurt by her own actions. No one wanted to pour salt on the wound, so to speak.

Liz never meant for Max to see what took place between her and Future-Max. She couldn't even imagine what he must be feeling or thinking. The first thing that came to her mind was if he had seen Future-Max's face, but he hadn't. He hadn't.

**Flashback** : _Liz hated the fact that everything was turning to a mess again. She and Max had finally gotten slightly better. They were going to be friends again, but then… Damn the flashes! What was this connection she had with Max? What was this spark that allowed him to dive into her most private thoughts and memories? Wanting to fix things, she gathered the courage to walk to the Evans' place. She wanted to… God, how she wanted to tell him the truth, how she wanted to embrace him in her arms, how she wanted to kiss his pain away, but she knew she couldn't. This was all so repetitive. She just wanted to be free from everything. She just wanted him to know. She just wanted him. It was all so simple, wasn't it? Just tell him and finally be happy, but life wasn't that kind._ Murphy's Law really does apply to me _, thought Liz. She couldn't tell him. She wouldn't tell him._

_Wiping her sweaty hand against her jeans, she lightly knocked on Max's window. Was that too light? Did Max hear that? Should she knock again? Time seemed to move slow when her knuckles connected with the glass, but then there was a rustle from the inside. She held her breath and the window flew open. Max stared at her with surprise and then his face hardened over, remembering exactly what she did. It was that same look he gave her when he saw that she "slept" with Kyle. It was a vicious cycle over and over again. How many times did she hurt him already? How many more times will she have to hurt him?_

_"What do you want?" he said, his voice devoid of all emotions but anger._

_She took in his shirtless state. Had it been that long ago since her hand was pressed up against his muscular back and his warm chest against her own skin? Had it been that long since her fingers playfully ran through his soft hair? Had it been that long since they stared into each other's eyes for hours? Had it been that long since she was kissing those luscious lips in Michael's apartment? Had it been that long ago?_

_"Well?" he said, annoyed at her silence and stare._

_Licking her cracked lips, she looked down at her feet and back at him. "I hate this, Max! I hate that we can't even be around each other. Long before all this, we were friends. We talked. We laughed. I don't understand why we just can't go back to that."_

_He shook his head in disbelief. "We can't._ I can't _."_

_"I know what I did and I know you're hurting. Max, I just… Remember you said you were going to let me go? That you were going to let me grow? What happened to that?"_

_"I guess I realized I can't go back."_

_"Max, please. Don't do this to us."_

" _I just… I need time."_

_That was something. Time—she could give him that. Time—it was all she had. Time—it was better than him completely denying her his friendship. If he did, how could she survive? She would always love him and he would never know, but having him around… that was enough. Time—yes, she would give him that._

" _Okay, I understand that. I do. I can respect it."_

 _Seconds passed._ Was there really nothing left to be said _, she asked herself. She had so much that she wanted to tell him. It was all she could think of as she slowly walked here. What did she want to tell him? Sensing there was nothing left to say, Max started to shut the window. Just as it was about to clasp into the hinge, she remembered. Her hand thrust out and wedged in between the wall and the window frame._

" _Max, I need to ask you something. Did you see… Can you tell me what you saw?"_

_He took a step back and scowled at her. "How can you ask me that, Liz?"_

_"Please, Max, I need to know."_

_"You want to know? You really want to know?" he yelled at her._

_Liz flinched at his tone. She could understand his anger. If she were in his position, she would be mad as well. "Please, I have to know."_

" _God, Liz! What I saw was—Goddamnit, Liz! I saw you fuck some other guy that's not Kyle. Is that what you wanted to hear?"_

_He didn't see Kyle. He didn't see Future-Max! Was she really that damn lucky? Could fate be showing mercy on her? Could it really be that easy? "But did you see his face?" she asked. God, it pained her to see him in such emotional turmoil. She hated this, but she had to do it._

_"Fuck! What are you trying to pull, Liz?! Did you want me to see his face?" Liz was tempted to tell him yes, but she bit her tongue. "No, Liz, I didn't. I didn't see his face. Instead, I saw his back. His fucking back moving while he was—while you were—FUCK, LIZ!"_

_She let out a rush of air that she had been holding, but immediately regretted it when Max saw it. She saw the window frame tremble and noticed Max's hand was no longer on it. It was his powers. "I don't understand you, Liz. I don't. You say you love me and then you sleep with Kyle? And then I find out it wasn't just him, but someone else? I—I…" He shook his head. Walking to his drawer, he pulled a box out and handed it to Liz. "You said you wanted to be friends. Well, I thought about it. I realized that I can't be friends with you."_

_"Max, please don't—"_

_"I'm still in love with you and I don't know how to forgive you. I'm still hanging on to you, to what we had, and I know it will never be the same. So let's make a clean break, right here. I can't do this with you, Liz."_

_Liz opened the box and saw it was the pocket knife she had given him last Christmas. "Max, this is yours. I gave it to you last Christmas."_

_"I'm giving it back."_

_"Max, I don't want you to hate me."_

_"Well, I guess that's the problem, Liz." Then the window slammed shut in her face, leaving Liz standing in the dark._

She thanked the gods for that he hadn't seen Future-Max's face. Now the price she was paying was the loss of Max's friendship. Everything she had done, everything Future-Max had done, would have been ruined. She made note to herself to be careful when coming in close contact with Max, but that was easy now. Max wanted nothing to do with her and Tess took her place. She was everywhere he was, comforting him. It disgusted Liz to no ends, but this was meant to be.

She wished Future-Max had never come. She longed for what she was supposed to have—a marriage with Max Evans, the love of her life.

**Flash** : _"Come on, guys!" cried Liz as she danced in Max's arms in the desert under the starry night._

_"Liz, we're tired," said Alex as he laid sleeping Isabel into the back seat of a convertible._

_"But this is our wedding night!" said Max, laughing as he twirled Liz. "This is the happiest moment of our lives. We should be celebrating!"_

_"Maxwell, we've been celebrating for hours! We're happy for you, but sorry if some of us don't have the strength to keep up," Michael said as he placed an arm around Maria, angling her so her head rested against his shoulder as they leaned up against the car._

_Max chuckled and smiled down at his bride. "You guys are such party-poopers! We don't need them, do we, Liz?"_

_Liz shook her head, her face still plastered with the same enormous smile since she said,_ "I do." _She curled her arms around her husband's neck and pressed her lips against his. "No, we don't. We have each other."_

_"And that's all that matters," he said, his lips brushing against hers. Their lips found a rhythm and under the starry night, they were finally one._

That was how her life was supposed to turn out, but that marriage would only end in death. No matter how much Liz hated wishing for her marriage, deep down she was glad Future-Max had done what he had done. Lives would be saved, but she bet he didn't know how severe the repercussions of his actions would be. Better than death, she guessed.

Liz was sure the gods were secretly laughing at her. "What have I ever done to you? What did I do to deserve this?" she asked the stars, trying to keep herself from screaming. She began to regret everything that had happened since the day Max had saved her. She wondered what life would be if Max hadn't stopped her from dying, if she had died. No one would even suspect aliens were involved in the shooting. Max, Michael, and Isabel would have been safe. Who knows, maybe Tess would have never showed up. Then the whole destiny crap would've been long forgotten. Everything would stay the time. Just another life of small town girl at the wrong place, at the wrong time—this sounded better than right now.

Closing her journal, she slipped into window, and placed the book in the secret space of her brick wall in her bedroom. She walked into the bathroom and quick became disgusted with the sight of herself in her cabinet mirror. God, who was she? Who was this person staring back at her? Who was this person with the black bags under her eyes? Who was this person with the permanent lines across her forehead? Just who was this person? No wonder she felt like she was crawling out of her skin. She was trapped in another body. Turning on the faucet, she placed the stopper on the drain and let the water rise. She treaded her fingers against the warm water, lost in thought.

So much had happened in such a short period of time. Had it really only been a month, just one month? Liz was trying her best to keep sane, to stay grounded, but all her feelings were overwhelming and they took a toll on her physical state. She constantly had headaches and she still wasn't getting enough sleep. Her dreams… they were memories of Future-Max, she was sure of it. Like before, she still couldn't make anything out but just feelings. But every once in a while, when she comes into contact of a certain object that held significant meaning to Future-Max, she would get flashes of what happened surrounding that object. She hated them because they only reminded her of what wasn't meant to be. With the replaying of all these scattered memories, Liz was beginning to wonder what her true feelings were and what were of Future-Max's. The fact that she knew what killing someone felt like didn't help. The grip and thrusting power of a weapon in her hand, the warm blood soaking her skin… It was as if death surrounded her no matter how far she ran.

She couldn't help but wonder what Future-Max was thinking as he had laid beside her, waiting to disappear into thin air. Did he think about his past life? About his wife, the future version of her? Did he regret what they did that night or was he just as happy as she was? Did he think about what the new future would bring? Did he wish he had never come back to the past? She wondered if he had been just resting beside her when he disappeared or whether his arms was wrapped around her when he did. She often shuddered when she thought about this, wondering what she would have thought about if she were in his position. God, how much she wanted to see him in his last moments before he left her. But what would she have done? She would've held him and cried. She would've kissed him till he was gone. She would've tried to make love with one him last time out of desperation, hoping to keep him there with her a little longer. She would've told him again just how much she loved him. But she couldn't. Instead it felt too much like a dream. Worse, like an amazing one night stand that ended badly like all one night stands.

Tugging off her clothes, she slid into the cool tub and leaned against the back end of the white porcelain. She rested in the clear warm water, letting her hands splash lightly against the liquid. The warmness of the water soothed her aching body. She could feel all the dirtiness wash away. Rubbing her feet together, she stared at her naked body under the water. Who did this body belong to? Her hand passed over her face as if she was trying to rub the tiredness from her eyes.

She let herself slip into the water till she was submerged in the water, lying almost flat on the bottom. Small air bubbles floated from her mouth as she stared upwards. Everything was hazy and blurry, but she could make out her bathroom. She reached her hand up towards the surface but didn't go beyond to break the surface. This was how she felt—she was caught between a glass wall or a prison, unable to break free, like she was drowning, unable to breathe. She felt like everything was moving faster than she was as if she was stuck on pause. No matter how hard she tried to break free, everything only seemed to get worse. Take Max and her for instance. They were fine. They were getting along, but then the flashes came and now Max refused to even look at her. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. Love—he loved her since the third grade. Love—she found out too late and now it was gone. Love—even love wasn't enough.

When her lungs burned and cried for air, she rose up from the water, resting up against the back of the tub once again, slicking her hair back. How much more could she take? As she gasped for air, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation. Reaching for the shaving cream and the razor, she propped her leg on the edge of the porcelain boat. She lathered her leg in the gel and began to shave her leg. Then frightened by the phone ringing, she accidentally nicked her leg. Dropping the razor into the water, her hand clamped around the cut. She watched as a thin trail of blood flowed down her leg and from between her fingers.

The phone continued to ring in her room. She was too tired, too lazy to go get it so she let it ring. "God damn it!" she screamed, slapping her hand against the surface of the water, letting it spill out of the tub, as her leg submerged back into the water. The blood disappeared when the water ratio increased. Life wasn't fair and Liz knew that. But at this moment, she felt like everything was against her. Nothing seemed to be going her way. She felt like she was the only one in the world in such pain. Actually, she probably was. Who else knew about the aliens? Who else had their future would-have-been husband visit them? In midst of her thoughts, Liz hadn't even noticed when she started to cry. The tears wouldn't stop flowing and she couldn't stop. She choked back a sob as the familiar song began to play on the radio.

Shaking her in disbelief to the melody, she sang softly along with the song: " _Into the brave new world, I hope I see you on the other side of this changing world._ " Brave, she was not. New and changing world—yes, it was. The other side seemed like a better place than here.

All these questions, all these ramblings—they all led to the same time, to the same emotion. She didn't want to live like this anymore. She was constantly in fear, in pain, and in sadness. She was tired and worn out. She didn't deserve this, none of this. What did she do that was so terribly that she had to be punished like this? She was just a simple small town girl, doing what the love of her life wanted. Why did so many things have to go wrong? Why her? What was so horrible or special about her that she had to go through all this? God, if only Grandma Claudia was still around. She was probably the only person who can give her a true insight on everything. She was the only person she could trust to talk to. But Grandma Claudia was dead. Her parents were as clueless to everything. Maria and Alex are innocent bystanders and she couldn't risk having them carry her burden. Kyle would be a bad idea. Isabel and Michael would never understand. Max? Definitely not. Tess would be like selling her soul to the devil for free. Just who did she have that she could talk to? Who did she have left in her life?

Staring at the cut on her leg, she made her decision. She had seen the movies, read the books, heard the stories. Before, she would have never even considered it. Before, she would have thought it was stupidity and sheer cowardliness to do it. But now in this situation, she wondered if others could do it, why couldn't she? If Max is supposed to be with Tess, who was she supposed to be with now? What was stopping her? What was the point in living? She gathered all her courage up and quickly grabbed her razor. She pushed the handle away from the razor piece and dropped it to the tile floor. It seemed so easy, almost too easy. Could she do it? Could she? Then as she held her breath, gathering all the courage she had, with one quick swoop, she nicked herself in the wrist. The four blades made the cut easily enough for the blood to quickly drip down her arm as if they were trailing down a vein. Fascinated, she watched as the blood droplets hit the water, spreading like blobs of ink. It was darker than she had imagined—brick red. No, it was crimson red. This wasn't the corn syrup and red dye seen in the movies. This was the real thing—this was real blood. The odd thing was it hadn't hurt. Perhaps her emotional pain ratio was too more than the physical pain. In fact, she felt almost better. Watching the blood flow from her, she felt as if she was being freed. She was being bled of her demons.

So she made another slit on her other wrist. Just as quickly as the other, the blood dripped into the water. Her hands flew to her mouth. She couldn't stop the laughter that escaped from deep within her, but there were still tears on her face. She laughed and laughed like a hysterical person. If only Future-Max could see her now, see how weak she was, that she wasn't as strong as she had been in his timeline. Wiping away the tears, the laughter soon died out. She was quiet, calm and steady. She was getting tired now. Her eyes started to feel heavy.

She was on a high. She hadn't felt so good in ages. Her eyes slowly drooped down and opened again. One arm hung over the rim of the tub while the other was soaked in water. She bathed in the crimson mess. There was so much blood. She could be the next Countess Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. With this amount of blood so large, she wondered instead of just looking young if she would be reborn again.

Maybe she could have a chance at a new life, somewhere different and new, just like that song—" _Into the brave new world._ " She could finally be happy. She could—… Where did the thought go? She could be—… Why couldn't she think clearly anymore? In her new life, she would—… What was happening? With her new life, she would go—… Before she could question where her brain suddenly went, her eyes fell shut and she could no longer find the strength to open them again.


	14. Chapter 13a

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter (Chapter 12) where Liz cuts herself, the date was December 15, 2000, Friday. If you remember from the previous chapter (Chapter 11), Zan and the gang left on December 16-18, 2000, Saturday-Monday. 
> 
> This is why I leave the same note in my author's note on every chapter posting: Pay attention to the dates. They play a key part! Well, they do till I eventually feel they don't matter as much anymore. Hehe...
> 
> **WARNING: Attempted suicide and self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.**

_Don't you feel so very pointless in the feelin' of the rain and the violence of the sun?  
I must confess that I feel graciously bigger than the rain and hotter than the sun.  
What do you do, what do you say when the blood you've spilled is of your loved one,  
and the kremlins of the world fall all around you?_

_We deal in dreams.  
We deal in dreams.  
We deal in structures that grow cold in our hearts._

_Oh fearful crying people,  
the fool is by the river, watching but not swimming.  
It takes energy not to get used to it  
and fall into this place  
where everything runs together and dies.  
This quiet kingdom, she is now  
and forever will she be in silent celebration._

_We deal in dreams.  
We deal in dreams.  
We deal in structures that grow cold in our hearts._

**"We Deal in Dreams," Live.**

* * *

**December 15, 2000, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

_Drip.  
Drop._

_Drip.  
Drop._

The sound of droplets was deafening. The water was calm despite its rippling effect. The cool breeze came rolling in from the small crack of the window. All seemed calm, but looks could be deceiving. There was no sound other than the water and it was the echo of the drops that Liz first heard when her eyes opened. Groggy, she found herself soaking in her bathtub. What time was it—was it morning, evening, night? How did she get here? When had she undressed herself? Why was she in her tub? As the questions came pounding into her head, she realized she couldn't remember. The light bulb above her was flickering as if there was an electric malfunction causing the bulb to rapidly blink. As she analyzed her surroundings, she tried to remember what happened to her. It felt as if she had lost hours of her life, had a blackout, or even sleepwalked. The water was clear and not bloody like she had last remembered. Wait, bloody water? Why would the water be red? Why blood?

_Drip.  
Drop._

Adjusting to her position, she realized she couldn't even feel if the water was cold or warm. She just felt surrounded as if she was being held down by an unknown force. The feeling unnerved her. Bracing her arms on each side of the tub, she tried to get up, but she couldn't. Her legs wouldn't move; only her upper body was mobile. Trying not to freak out, she tried to wiggle her toes, but there was no movement. Thinking it was just her imagination and that the water was playing tricks on her, she tried again and again, and again.

"Move!" she commanded, growing frustrated with each passing second. But her toes did not obey.

_Drip.  
Drop._

Fear began to course through her veins. She was immobile and trapped in her tub. Her eyes flickered around the room. Sure enough it looked like her bathroom, but there was something off about it. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. The bathroom was too dark to be her own. The bulb continued to flicker and sway from side to side. This felt all too much like a scene out of a horror movie; she couldn't help but feel like a ghost or a spirit will lunge out at her at any second. She eyed what was around her. There was the mirror cabinet, the sink, the toilet, the tub (her in the tub), her toiletries, and the walls—wait! That's what was different. Where were the walls? Instead, there was nothing but pitch black beyond the model of her bathroom. She could see where the tiles on the floor stopped and after that was nothing. Where was she? What was happening?

Then all of the sudden, a shrill scream echoed from the darkness. _"LIZ!"_ cried out a voice.

Frightened, she searched for the body of the voice, but she saw none. There was nothing but black. "Who's there?" she hesitatingly asked, unsure of what was out there.

" _LIZ!"_

Someone was shouting for her, but who was it? The voice was unknown to her. Trying to cover herself up with her arms in fear that someone may walk in on her state of undress, she asked again, "Who's out there?"

" _OH MY GOD, LIZ!"_

The voice continued to thunder and all Liz could do was sit and listen. The pausing silence, the sound of her name, the pained out of breath voice—it all began to infuriate her. This voice was calling for her, but who was it that needed her?

"Who's out there? Come out and show your face!" she yelled. She couldn't move, she couldn't get out of the tub and search for the owner of the voice. Here she was stuck, only able to twist her head back. How could she help this person in need when she couldn't even help herself?

_Drip.  
Drop._

"Why did you do it?" asked a voice from the dark. This voice was different from the previous one she head.

"Do what?" she replied harshly. What was going on?

" _LIZZZZZZZZZZ!"_

"Why did you do it, Liz?" it asked a little more forcefully.

Liz shook her head. "DO WHAT?!"

It continued. "Why?"

" _LIZ, NO! NO, NO, NO!"_

"Why did you do it, Liz Parker?" said the voice, growing louder.

"How do you know my name? Stop this, please! STOP!" she cried as the hot tears flooded down her face. She didn't know why she was crying. Perhaps it was a reflex from all the fear she was feeling. Whatever the reason, she just wanted her mother in this moment.

Then suddenly someone stepped out from the black, but Liz couldn't see who it was. There was no face, only the shape of a body as if it was just a shadow. It kept walking towards her.

" _OH GOD, LIZ, PLEASE!"_

The screaming voice began to repeat one after another, growing in number, and it seemed like they would never stop. They kept coming and coming as if they were trying to attack her. All she hear were screams and her name. Covering her ears, she screamed in pure rage, unable to do anything else. The voices were driving her mad. They stirred such anxiety within her.

"STOP IT, STOP IT!" she cried.

The thing that came from the dark moved closer. It was a phantom—pure black like a shadow, like a distorted image from the television, like something one only saw in movies. It strode towards her, flickering like the light bulb as if it was disappearing and reappearing. It came closer to her and Liz could feel nothing but panic. She struggled against the water, but she only succeeded in splashing the water out of the tub. Her fingers clawed at the porcelain and still she could not move. Her breathing quickened as her eyes grew large. The flickering black knelt down before her.

"Why, Liz Parker?" it asked her.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Liz shut her eyes in fear and sobbed. "No, no, please stop this!"

" _DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T! PLEASE!"_

"WHY DID YOU DO IT?" it screamed at her. Just as its long fingers thrust out and gripped her arms, Liz screamed. In mid-scream, the figure disappeared in a billow of smoke as if it was frightened by her scream.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

It quickly reappeared before her eyes. "REMEMBER!" it yelled. She struggled as best as she could, but nothing happened. Her arms flailed, her head shook from side to side, but her legs did not even flinch. Then in another scream, as it gripped her chin and forced her to look into its eyes, she couldn't stop the rush of images that began to play out before her eyes. Like a horrible video destined to repeat over and over again, as if her eyes were held open by a wire speculum, the memories came flooding back to her. It was just snippets at first, still images, but then the images slowly became a movie like an optical illusion moving picture book. She recalled the events that happened only moments ago. Or was it only just moments ago? It felt longer than that, like she was reliving a lifetime. She remembered that she had tried to take her own life.

**Flashback** : _There was no longer a point to live. There was no one to live for, no one to love her back, and nothing left to make things right. She was alone and her life had ceased. So she grabbed the razor and made the cut. One slice seemed enough, but the razor had other plans. Four blades equaled four deep cuts. The skin puckered upwards in a curl and exposed her flesh. More, more, more. The blood spilled through the slits as if a faucet had turned on. The crimson life flowed down her arm, staining her, tattooing her. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't over yet. She wasn't finished. Then her other wrist met the same fate._

Falling out of the memory, the figure was gone and Liz found her hand in front of her face in a position that told her that her hand was having a muscle memory of the incident. There was nothing in between her fingers yet she swore she felt the cool blades pressed against her fingertips. Quickly, she touched her wrists and found they were uncut and scarless. There was nothing there—just her dark blue veins beneath her pale skin. She asked herself how this was possible. She was sure she had cut herself… that she had tried to end her own life.

_Drip.  
Drop._

What had she done? Was it all just a dream? It couldn't be. If that was the dream, then wasn't this a dream as well? "What's going on?" she asked in agony to no one particular. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. The tears had stopped only for a moment, but they threatened to spill once again.

"Why did you do it?" said a voice behind her. It was back.

She turned her head around and saw the shadow again. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" she asked. Was this hell? It was, wasn't it? _Oh god, this is hell_ , she thought. She had been religious once, but didn't aliens go against everything in the bible? She faltered in her belief, but now... she was sure she was in hell. This was the price she was paying for killing herself. Was she really doomed to spend an eternity in this place to be tortured so? To be taunted by these voices and replaying her death repeatedly? God, what had she done?

"You know me," it said.

Her head fell back against the porcelain. "I don't know you. Please tell me."

"I can't. You have to see for yourself."

"I am looking at you and I don't know who you are! Maybe if you weren't completely drenched in black, I could—"

"You do! Look closely. Look deep within. You know who I am!"

Liz tried to think up of a list of names of the people she knew, but no one fit the profile of this darkness. "I don't know. Please, stop this."

"Remember what happened. What happened, Liz?"

_Drip.  
Drop._

Liz bit her quivering lower lip. "I… I tried to k—… I killed myself."

"What else?"

"What do you mean what else? I killed myself!"

"What happened?"

"I was angry! I was angry and I thought, why the fuck not? Why couldn't I kill myself? I thought and I knew I had nothing left to live for, so I took the fucking razor and cut myself. I cut myself and bled. I bled and fucking bled till I died. I KILLED MYSELF! I FUCKING KILLED MYSELF! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

The black flickered and disappeared again. Liz's face scrunched up in tears. This was pure torture. She knew she had killed herself, but being forced to relive the moment made it all seem too horrible, all too real. She could feel the stinging pain of the razor coming into contact with her wrists yet they remained untouched. She could feel the blades dragging slowly against her tight skin, the warm blood rushing out, and the liquid running down her arm as if it was tracing her veins on the outside. She felt it, but she couldn't see it.

As the tears came, as she sobbed, she weakly choked out, "What do you want from me?"

_Drip.  
Drop._

_Drip.  
Drop._


	15. Chapter 13b

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1) and "285 South" (Season 1, Episode 5).
> 
> **WARNING: Attempted suicide and self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.**

_And I'm good, good, good to go.  
And I'm good, good, good to go.  
I got to get away,  
Get away from all of my mistakes._

_So here I sit looking at the traffic lights.  
The red extinguishes the hope that the green ignites.  
I want to run away. I want to ditch my life  
_' _cause all of my mistakes keep me awake at night._

_And after all of my alibis desert me,  
I just want to get by.  
I don't want nothing to hurt me.  
I had no idea where my head was at,  
but if my heart says I'm sorry, can we leave it at that?  
Because I just want for all of this to end._

_And I so hate consequences  
and running from you is what my best defense is.  
Consequences,  
oh God, don't make me face up to this.  
And I so hate consequences  
and running from you is what my best defense is  
_' _cause I know that I let you down  
and I don't want to deal with that._

_It just now hit me this is more than just a set back  
and when you spelled it out, well, I guess I didn't get that.  
And every trace of momentum is gone  
and this isn't turning out the way I want._

_And after all of my alibis desert me,  
I just want to get by.  
I don't want nothing to hurt me.  
I had no idea where my head was at,  
but if my heart says I'm sorry, can we leave it at that?  
Because I just want for all of this to end._

_And I spent all last night  
tearing down every stoplight  
and stop sign in this town.  
Now I think there might  
be no way to stop me now.  
I'll get away despite  
the fact I'm so weighed down._

_All of my escapes have been exhausted.  
I thought I had a way, but then I lost it.  
And my resistance was once much stronger,  
and I know I can't go on like this much longer._

_When I got tired of running from you,  
I stopped right there to catch my breath.  
There your words, they caught my ears.  
You said, "I miss you son. Come home."  
And my sins, they watched me leave,  
and in my heart, I so believed  
the love you felt for me was mine,  
the love I'd wished for all this time.  
And when the doors were closed,  
I heard no I told you so's.  
I said the words I knew you knew:  
Oh God, Oh God, I needed you.  
God, all this time, I needed you, I needed you._

_And I so hate consequences  
and running from you is what my best defense is.  
I hate these consequences  
because I know that I let you down.  
Now I don't wanna deal with that._

" **I So Hate Consequences," Relient K**.

* * *

**December 15, 2000, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz wiped away the tears that trailed down her face. She tried to control her heaves, but was only successful for a few seconds before the small cry fell from her quivering lips once again. All she heard were her own gasping sobs. Everything else was silent. There were no more screams. The droplets continued to ripple the water underneath the faucet yet she heard no sound of them making contact with the surface of the water. Biting down on her lower lip, still shaking, she tried to control her emotions. She knew the ordeal was far from over. There was no way that after that intense torture would it just end suddenly. There had to be more and she was right.

"Why is it you can't remember?" it asked as it reappeared in front of her.

Now, slightly numb both emotionally and physically, she responded monotonously, "I have no idea what you want from me." Did they not do this already? She didn't know what it was asking her for. No matter how many times it would ask, she didn't know.

"I need you to remember."

Frustration, that was what she felt. "Remember what? What the hell do you need to me to remember exactly? I already told you I killed myself."

It crouched down to its knees and seemed as though to stare at her, even though Liz could not see its eyes. "Why?" it asked.

"I told you why! I was angry, I was—"

"You've been searching for the answer to something, something you desperately need to find out."

"Can you stop being so cryptic for one second?"

"Trust me, if I could, I would, but you see, you control this," it said, emphasizing their situation with a wave of its hand.

" _I_ control this?" Liz asked, baffled.

"This isn't my mind. It's yours. It's you who's trapping me here, you who's seeing me like this," it said, referring to its dark state.

Liz shook her head. "I don't understand. I don't—"

"Your mind has created this, this realm. I'm stuck here, you're stuck here—that is until you, yourself, decide to let us free."

Liz narrowed her eyes at the figure, wondering if it was playing tricks on her. She thought about being "free" as this thing said. Hell, if she could stand up and get out of the tub, she would even click her heels together just to see if her realm had the same going-home methods like the Wizard of Oz. She closed her eyes and pictured her home—the image of her home, her parents standing in front of it, Maria and Alex waiting for her—but nothing happened. She even pictured Max, no matter how much it pained her, but again, no response. If Max didn't work—Max, the very core reason of why she was living—if he wasn't able to bring her back, then what would? There was nothing else. She let out an exasperated sigh, growing angrier by the second.

"You're not trying hard enough," it said.

"Look here, if I could leave, I would! But I'm sure you've got it wrong because trust me, there is no one other than me who wants to leave this place more. At least you're up and walking. Hell, you're zipping all over the place like Flash on crack! I'm trapped in this stupid freaking tub, completely naked and soaked against my own will."

"Now whose fault was it to commit suicide in a tub?"

"Fuck you!" yelled Liz, narrowing her eyes. It was her fault, but who knew the place you killed yourself would be the place you would be stuck in forever? If she knew, she would've done it somewhere like on a swing or on her bed, so she could swing or sleep forever. At least those choices were better than soaking in a tub. Hell, what she would give to be clothed. She felt uncomfortable being naked in front of this black figure. She was barely unable to cover herself; only the top portion of her body.

"Look, just listen to me: something triggered this episode of yours. Something caused for you to do this to yourself. What was it?"

Liz did this to herself. It was because she wasn't strong enough, because she wasn't brave enough to live in a world where she would be alone and Max-less, because she couldn't handle seeing the disappointed faces of her friends, but in the back of her mind, Future-Max's name clearly rang out. But why? It wasn't his fault. It couldn't be. There was no possible way. "But what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"It has to do with everything," it stated.

Future-Max Evans: a leather-clad, luscious brunette-haired man of 6" feet tall, a build unlike any male athlete, deep chestnut eyes that stared right into one's soul, lips that begged to be chewed on, the brown mole above his upper lip that asked to be tasted, the soft hairs sprinkled over his arms and legs, his well-endowed manhood curled in between his legs with just the right amount of hair. No, he was much more than just a person of physical beauty, more than a perfect half-alien, half-human specie. He was the one that came back to the past to prevent his future from occurring within another time plane, the one who put down his own life for the lives of others, the one that captured Liz's heart and went away with it. But what did he have to do with anything, especially with this so-called realm? He was gone. He changed the future—his part was done... Wasn't it?

"Please remember, Liz. Everything balances on you remembering the answer of what you so desperately seek."

"But I don't know! I don't remember anything. You keep asking me, over and over again, as if it would help, but it doesn't! Minutes from now, even hours, days, weeks—no matter how long I'm stuck here, I still won't remember! What is it that you want from me? Maybe if you just told me, we could leave this place already!"

"I can't do that," it replied.

Future-Max. This thing said he had to do with everything. Future-Max. _Future-Max_. What was his role in this? What exactly did he—

Suddenly, a glass room appeared before her and standing in the middle of the room was him, looking better than when she had last seen him (before they made love). His scars were gone, so were the black bags under his eyes. His hair looked darker as if it had been nourished with vitamins. His skin had a healthy glow. He looked amazing, especially since she hadn't seen him in so long. He looked almost happy, but how could he when he no longer existed? How could someone be so calm and content when he is dead? Perhaps he was in heaven, perhaps that's why. Was she seeing Future-Max in heaven? But what was this glass room?

The black figure looked at the room and turned back to Liz. "Please remember."

Liz wanted to go to him. She wanted to run to him, hold him in her arms, and cry into his warm chest. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him, how much she wanted him back, how much she… She wanted to go to him. With her eyes focused on Max, she quickly noticed how close the glass wall was to her face. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the room. She was standing and clothed! There was no water, not one trace of wetness clung to her. She was up on her feet! Instead of dancing in joy for finally feeling the ground under her feet, she pressed her hand against the glass as if trying to reach out for Future-Max. She stood so close to the glass that her breath made a fog. The smoky look made Future-Max look like a mirage, and Liz was damn sure he was one. But he wasn't; he was really there in the flesh, just beyond the thin glass wall. Future-Max strode towards her and placed his hand over where her own was. Despite the glass barrier, she swore she could feel his touch, his heat emitting and mixing with her own.

"Max," she whimpered as her lower lip began to quiver. Her heart lurched at the sight of him. "I miss—"

"I'm sorry, Liz," he said, interrupting her.

Her forehead crunched upwards in confusion. "Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"It's my fault."

"What is?"

"Remember, Liz," he said. "You have my memories. Find it, remember it."

"Max, I don't know what you're talking about. You and that thing," she said, glancing at the blackened figure and then focusing back to Future-Max, "keep trying to get me to remember something and I—"

"It's my fault you're here. I'm the reason for this."

"NO! It's not your fault. I wasn't—"

"I'm not talking about that, Liz. You," he said, stopping mid-sentence. His hand lifted away and his fingers trailed along the glass as if he was stroking her face. He frowned with a clench of his teeth. "You did what I did."

Liz remained silent before it hit her, before his words really hit her. As her eyes widened, she hesitatingly spoke, "Max, you… you tried to… you tried to kill yourself?"

He nodded, giving her a frown that told her that he was upset with how things turned out yet the frown seemed to tell her that he missed her too. Tears began to fill up her eyes once again. She didn't know how to respond to this new found information. Questions rushed through her mind: Future-Max had tried to kill himself? But why? When? Where? How?

"Why, Max? _Why_?" she asked him. He looked so distressed and she had never wanted to hold him more. She wanted him in her arms, comforting him. She wanted to feel him pressed up against her. His lips against hers. She wanted him.

Realizing that perhaps she did have the power to get them out, she concentrated on getting to Future-Max. She imagined the glass barrier disappearing and her body slipping through. But nothing happened. At least she tried. Thinking back on Future-Max's suicide, in the middle of her confused thoughts, the glass barrier disappeared. If she really did control this realm, she was doing a pretty bad job. Whenever she wanted something, nothing happened. But when she didn't think about it, it would happen. Liz's hand, which was still pressed against the glass, quickly made contact with his body as she stumbled forward. She didn't jump for joy that she made the barrier disappear. Instead, all she could feel were her fingers pressed up against his muscular chest, his warm and beating chest. This was the first touch in a month, possibly _the_ last touch once again. Her fingers fell from his body, found his hand, and entwined their fingers together. Both staring at their joined hands, Future-Max quickly pulled her to him. Their bodies collided together like true lovers who had not seen each other in decades. But like many physical touches with Max, she found herself thrown into memories not of her own.

**Flash** : _He remembered all too clearly when he, a little boy, emerged from his birth place. Trapped inside a cocoon, his eyes opened. They stung when the thick liquid began to press against his eyeballs. Confused as to where he was, he opened his mouth to find out he couldn't breathe. There was no air, but only gel. It began to fill his burning lungs and he began to panic. He struggled, but it felt like something was weighing him down. Still floating, his hand slowly reached out forward, gliding along through the liquid, to what seemed to be a barrier to the other side and as his fingers tore through the layer, his fingertips felt the cool air. Automatically, he knew that was what his lungs needed. Gathering all the strength he had in his little body, he pushed through the thick blue gel, forcing his way out. Like a new born child, his tiny body slid out, falling to the floor, and slid a few inches as the gel covered every single part of his body and prevented him to have a steady balance. Coughing, he spit out the mouthfuls of gel he had taken in before finally taking in his first breathe of air. The air was too cold at first, almost painful like needle pricks in his lungs, but at the same time, he was on a high. His brain tried to calm him down from the intake, never having experience oxygen before._

_Wiping the goo away from his face, he turned back to see what he had hatched from. Beside his birth place, there were four other pods, but only two were still filled. One had already been torn through and nothing remained inside. Instantly though, he recognized the other two. A girl with short straight blonde hair that looked so much like him—he knew she was his sister. The other, a boy with spiky hair—was he his brother? He had to be. So he sat, in front of the other two pods, naked and shivering in the cold, waiting for them to hatch, waiting for them to come join him._

_The day he was found on the side of the road, he remembered feeling scared. Just who was coming to get them? Would these people harm him? Would they separate him from his family? He held onto his sister's hand, but his brother took off running. He didn't want to stay with them. He was more terrified than he was. But with no speech, he could not call his brother back. He just watched his brother run away into the night, his eyes glowing with fear, as a blanket wrapped him and his sister up and they were led to a vehicle. He remembered as he sat in the car, he saw the glistening eyes of the blonde woman who found him. She was staring at him as if he was the most precious thing she had ever seen._

_Days passed by. They were currently occupying the home of the people who found them. They never seemed to leave the house at first, always watching them, trying to coax them to talk. But what they didn't know was they couldn't speak. They didn't know how to. Then they took them to a place that was white everywhere. People rushed past them as if there was a war going on. Children sat beside them; some were reading and the others were playing. They sat in a room on some type of bed as a man dressed in white stood before them. He tried to separate him from his sister, but he held on. His tiny fingers gripped his sister's, not caring if he was hurting her. He wouldn't let go because he knew he had to protect her. He couldn't understand why but he felt that there was some danger out there, waiting for the right time to take her away from him._

_He didn't understand a word these people said to him, but he felt as if he was being belittled when they spoke to him in such a childish way. They smiled, offered treats, and spoke slowly as if he would understand if they spoke like they were mentally impaired. He began to read books he found lying in the children's room outside, studying the strange symbols. His brain seemed to be able to process this language, seemed to understand it, so he tried to read as many books as he could in that short time._

_Back in what was supposedly their room, with two beds in a room, the couple came in. When their eyes settled upon his sister, the blonde woman extended her arms out. His sister was willing to go, but he wasn't ready to let her go. He held her back, his tiny hand clutched hers. He gave her a look of command that told her to stay back. She frowned, nodded, and sat back down on the bed. The blonde woman looked over at the taller man next to her. They left the room, disappeared behind closed doors, and he could hear them speaking. Perhaps they wanted only his sister and not him. Perhaps they decided to give them up. Perhaps they would decide to leave. But moments later, they came back and the blonde woman, this time, extended her arms out to both of them._

_His sister looked over at him with hope. Her eyes told him that they wouldn't be separated. They would, forever, be together. It would be safe as long as they were with each other. So he let go of her hand. She took the first step and found herself burying her face into the sweet smelling blonde curls. He watched this interaction. It seemed harmless enough. The woman extended her arm out to him. Hesitant, he took the first step. She took his hand and pulled him to her, and they both were in her arms. In that moment, they felt something they never felt before—safety and love._

_If anyone had ever asked him what the best thing that happened to him was, most would think being adopted would be the greatest moment of his life. Don't get him wrong, it was. If he had a choice between living in a loving home and living in the wild, he would choose the loving home. If some knew his secret, some would think it was being reunited with his brother, but that wasn't it either. The greatest moment of his life was stepping off the school bus and seeing a little brown-haired girl playing from afar. He remembered his tiny heart beating against his chest like never before. His breath caught in his throat as he watched, mesmerized. Thoughts of where his sister had went never even came to him. He couldn't help, but smile for the first time when he saw her toothless grin. Despite missing her two front teeth, she was beautiful. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She glowed with such innocence, such happiness, and from that moment, he knew. At age six, he had fallen in love with a girl, he then knew, he would never have._

_But then the amazing and the worst thing happened: she was shot and he had to save her life. He couldn't just let her die. In that split second of seeing her on the ground, motionless, he knew what his life would be like if he let her slip away before his eyes. He would never forgive himself. Even if he had to leave Roswell, even if he had to endanger his family, he would be content knowing that she was alive. Without any other thought, he went to her, placed his magical hand over her bleeding wound, and closed it, leaving her skin flawless once again. It wasn't until he was being driven away from the café did he realize he had touched her. It wasn't an accidental graze or a bump. He had touched her in the way he never thought possible. It wasn't sexual or passion-filled, but to him, it meant everything. Her warmth had left an imprint on his hand. It would comfort him many nights, knowing that because of him, she was alive._

_Ever since then, his life had changed for both the better and the worst. But how many times had he wished in his lifetime that he wasn't an alien, that he wasn't different, that he was just a human? More than he could count. Everything would have been easier if he wasn't a monster, but then he would have never saved Liz Parker's life. If he had to choose though, between being an alien and saving Liz's life and being human and watching her die, he would gladly be from outer space. But deep inside, he was conflicted._

_Later on, when his life seemed to be getting better and better (he made friends who knew and accepted his secret, he dated, married, and loved Liz Parker), death decided to haunt him. It surrounded him. It was everywhere he went, everything he touched. He was the bringer of death. Ironic, wasn't it? With a simple touch, he could heal. He could bring back those on the brink of death yet he couldn't save those he loved. What good was he then?_

_But how did things go so wrong in such a short amount of time? Did he really not see it happening before his eyes or was he ignoring the horrible truth? He remembered the day all too well. Her cold green eyes were completely black—emotionless. Her face was stern; he could almost see his death being played out in her eyes. With her lover, she stared down at him as if he had no meaning in her life. He denied it, he didn't want to believe it, but in that moment, he was forced to accept something he had been dreading._

"Isabel, please. Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"It's Vilandra," she replied.

_Hearing that name, the name that represented the horrible past, he knew he had lost her forever again. There was no turning back. His ex-sister and her lover brought destruction to his world, to everything and everyone he loved. He remembered far too well of hearing the sounds of bodies dropping to the floor. Cries, screams, and begs haunted him in his sleep. He had to kill in order to save others. His hands would thrust forward, light emitted from the palms, and then person in front of them would cease._

_Everyone he loved, they all died, killed by his own family member. All seemed so bleak. He loved his wife, he did. But how could he protect her when he couldn't save the others? Maria and Alex—they all died for no reason. They were innocent. Michael jumped in the way to try to save them, but he was too late, getting caught in the fire himself. Liz was just as much in pain as he was. Life, this wasn't life. This was hell and it all began with him. So in a fragile state, in desperation, in a moment of constant pleading, he tried to end it all. It was only till his wife found him in his own bloody mess, after she cried and screamed, after she miraculously healed him, after she held him did he realize this wasn't the way to go. He had to do something else, something other if not less drastic, to save everything he loved, something to prevent it all from happening all over again. That was when he left his world to journey to another—his past._

_When he left his home, his world, he knew he was killing himself all over again, but this time, it would be a sacrifice. He was leaving his wife, the one thing that gave his meaning. Before he was swooped up by the Granilith, he made love to her over and over again. He tried to memorize her heavy breasts pressed against his chest. He tried to remember the taste of her sweat on his tongue, her scent invading his nose. He wanted to burn the images of her into his brain: her flushed cheeks, her open panting lips, her breasts gently shaking as he took her, claimed her, invaded her. Declarations of love were said but it wasn't enough. He wanted to show her, he wanted to leave an imprint on her body of his love. He grasped her, bit down on her, drew blood, and tugged her hair back as he pushed his hard cock into her wet body. He wasn't the only one being a masochist. She, just as forceful, clawed at him, clamped her teeth down on his bloody lips, leaving trails of lines down his arms and back. They fucked each other out of desperation. They wanted to scar each other so they would be reminded of their love._

_Thrown back to the past, seeing his young self reminded him of happier days before the dark days. He knew he shouldn't, that he couldn't, but he slept with his wife's younger self. She was there, willing, pleading. He could not deny her. Her body, untouched in this time line, called for his experienced one to teach her. He took her gently at first, but overwhelmed with the familiar body that he loved, he could not control himself. He thrust, he bucked, he buried his organ inside her tight pussy. Her loving warmth covered him, mingling with his own juices. He heard only her cries of pleasure as his hip almost violently pressed against hers. Pushing her hair back, he stared at the beauty before him. He wasn't an old man anymore. He was a young teenager, ready to do anything his love asked him._ "I love you," she whispered into his ear. _Hearing those words, he realized just how much he missed his wife, how much he loved this time line's Liz. She clung to him, accepting what he was willing to give her. Her walls held him, suctioned him back inside of her. This was their love._

_Exhausted, they fell asleep but he woke up later. He knew he didn't have much time left. He would leave this wonderful world once again, this time permanently. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed against her soft body. She was so warm and he was so cold. Love, love—that's what he was feeling._

"I love you so much, I hope you know that. I did this all for you. It's all for you. Be happy, love life, do everything you wanted to do. Even if you have to leave me, just please… just stay alive. I love you, I love you, I love you, Liz Evans," he whispered into her hair. _As his eyes closed, breathing in her scent, he would never open them again_.

When Liz broke out of the flashes, she found herself back in the tub, naked, unable to get up, soaking wet once again, but she didn't care. The memories, the emotions—they all hit her like a truck running her over. She felt pain, loneliness, but mostly importantly, she felt love, love from Future-Max. Her face scrunched up, bursting into tears. She looked around, but all she saw was the black figure. Max was no longer there. _Where did Max go_ , she questioned. She couldn't tell him her side, show him how she saw him in her eyes. Seeing the blackened figure in front of her, she opened her mouth to ask what it did with Max, but it interrupted her.

"Do you remember now?" it asked.

All she could do was nod.


	16. Chapter 13c

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Max In The City" (Season 2, Episode 9).
> 
> **WARNING: Attempted suicide and self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.**

_Standing on a building,  
I am a lightning rod  
and all these clouds are so familiar.  
Descending from the mountain tops,  
the gods are threatening,  
but I will return an honest soldier._

_Home..._

_Steady on this high-rise,  
like every lightning rod,  
and all these clouds are boiling over.  
Swimming in adrenaline,  
the sky is caving in,  
but I will remain the honest soldier_

_Home.._.

" **Lightening Rod," Guster**.

* * *

**December 15, 2000, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

She finally understood what Future-Max and the black figure was trying to tell her, what they were trying to get her to remember: Future-Max had killed himself. It was his memories, his thoughts, and his pain that had merged with her own. She had to remember his past with her present. It wasn't because she had his memories that she did this to herself. He did not influence, but he fueled her tangled emotions even more. They shared many similar thoughts, fears, and goals. She was practically half Future-Max in this lifetime.

He did something drastic—he tried to end his life.

She did something drastic—she tried to end her life.

The black reappeared in front of her. Liz quickly twisted back around—the water slightly sloshing out—and this time, she found herself facing… _No, it couldn't be_ , she thought in shock. The figure was no longer black. Liz took in the physical traits, the outfit, everything. She was facing herself. It was herself! _Oh my god_ , she thought. But at the same time, it wasn't _her_. This other person that resembled her was older with short bobbed hair that came under her chin. She was clothed in black from top to bottom, consisting of a tank top, a leather jacket, and leather pants. She looked so unlike Liz yet she wore her face, just slightly older. But Liz knew that she would never wear something as skin-tight as this person wore. She never even thought about cutting her hair so short! Would she?

Her words were caught in the middle of her throat and it wasn't till a moment of silence passed before she finally spoke. "Who are you?" asked a hesitant and frightened Liz. She wondered if this was shape-shifter, another Nasedo, but then questioned why a shape-shifter would be haunting her in hell. But was this really hell now? With her new knowledge, she was still unsure of where she was. This ex-black figure might have told her this was her realm, but that wasn't specific enough.

"I am you," replied the older doppelganger. Just as Liz was about to ask another question, Future-Liz cut her off. "Let's get you out of that bloody mess first."

"What bloody—" As Liz looked down, she saw the water she was drenched in. It was red like blood, not clear like before. "Oh my god…" She began to try to get out, afraid of the blood, but could not move. Seeing this was a smack in her face. This was her blood that she was drenched in, bathing in, resting in. But why was she back in the tub? Why was she naked once again? Was she not out only moments ago, standing face-to-face with Future-Max? How did she get back in here?

Future-Liz knew what she was thinking. After all, they were the same person. "Like I said before, it's your realm here. It's your world. You're trapped in your mind, subconsciously controlling everything, including seeing me as, well, some sort of shadow figure. I couldn't tell you what to remember because it wasn't up to me. It was up to you to find out for yourself, up to you to figure things out. You knew, but you didn't know at the same time. Isn't the mind a fickle thing?"

Understanding and partly overwhelmed by everything, Liz allowed her older twin to pull her out of the tub, struggling slightly due to her numb lower body. Once she was leaning against the outer shell of the tub, Future-Liz said, "Let's get you some clothes," and instantly, she was clothed. "So why did you do it?" the twin asked.

Liz ignored the question, still somewhat amazed and confused, and instead asked, "What do you mean you're _me_?"

"I am _you_."

"That's not possible," said Liz, shaking her head as to confirm her doubt.

The woman smiled and knelt down in front of her. "Why can you believe in Future-Max, but not a future you?"

Liz gasped as realization sunk in. "You're… you're me?" she asked. "Like me- _me_?"

"I'm you from the future."

"But how? Future-Max told me that we would—"

"Explode if we came into contact with our own selves? We should, but I don't know why we're not," replied Future-Liz who had wondered the same thing when she saw her younger self in the tub. At first, she was hesitant, not wanting to encounter herself in fear that she would cause the present-Liz to cease, but she knew something was different—that this wasn't the world they had previously both been in. They were somewhere else. It was only moments later when she was completely blackened did she understand that she was trapped in her younger self's mind.

"Why—why are you here?" asked Liz, snapping her older self out of her thoughts.

Future-Liz shook her head in confusion. "I don't know. I disappeared earlier than planned and found myself here."

"Disappeared? You mean, from your time?"

A wave of sadness rushed over her doppelganger's face and she replied, "From _your_ time."

Liz gasped once again. "You were in my time?" she said, shocked, only to receive her answer when she saw her twin nod her head. "Where are we? I mean, I know I'm in my mind, but why?"

"I don't know, but we're here for a reason," said Future-Liz. Then she raised her hand and rested it against her younger self's cheek. "Why did you do it, Liz?" Future-Liz, not understanding why she was here or talking to present-Liz, had found herself here in the dark when her eyes opened. Then suddenly as if someone had turned on the light, she found herself staring at Liz Parker, age eighteen, resting in a tub that looked similar to her own in the past. Future-Liz knew this wasn't the same time period as she had disappeared from the dupes. She didn't know why she knew this, but inside, she just knew. She was back in the past by only a few days—before she started heading out to Roswell. When she took a step forward, like the flashes she had with Max, but this time with no physical contact, she was overwhelmed with flashes of her younger self mutilating her wrists. They were memories of present-Liz and she knew what Liz had done. She, her younger self, Liz Parker, had tried to end her life.

Present-Liz closed her eyes at the contact of her own, well, older hand. As her lower lip quivered, she opened her eyes to find herself staring back into, technically, her own eyes. "I… I couldn't handle it anymore. I wasn't strong enough."

Future-Liz then embraced her. "Oh, but you are! You're strong. You're just doubting yourself."

"I'm not! I was and am in such pain. I'm the cause for the end of your world! I'm the reason our friends died! I caused so much pain to Max and everyone else! I'm in love with a man I can't be with," said Liz. She didn't want to say this next part, but what did she have to lose? "I fell in love with a man that no longer even exists."

Future-Liz frowned at first at the mention of Liz saying she was the reason their friends had died. There was some truth to that, but she wasn't going to tell Liz any more. Instead, she chucked and pulled away. "What is it with us Liz Parkers and Max Evans?"

"I have no clue, but they have—"

"Some kind of hold on us?" Future-Liz finished for her.

"Exactly!"

"Liz," whispered Future-Liz as she cupped her face once again. "Us, Parkers, we're strong, stronger than we seem. If you weren't, you wouldn't have listened to Future-Max and done whatever he asked you to. You wouldn't have risked everything just to save your world, save my world."

"But—"

Future-Liz shook her head and took her younger self's chin in her hand, forcing her to look her clearly in the face. "No buts. We are strong and you must believe that."

Liz could only shake her head. She wanted to let her future-self know how much Future-Max meant to her, how much she loved him, how much she wanted him to stay. But most of all, she felt guilty for being with him. She felt guilty because in a way, she was the other woman Future-Max had cheated with.

Future-Liz smiled, instantly knowing what Liz was thinking. It was weird; it was as if they were mentally connected with one another. "I know. Don't worry about it."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You know? That I—… I slept with Max?"

"I forgive you. I think if it were me in your position, I'd do the same," she said with a laugh.

"But I'm sorry though."

"Don't worry about it."

Just like that, they had reached an understanding, knowing that Max Evans, no matter what he did, would affect their lives greatly. They were in love with the man—what more could they say? As cliché as it was, if he had asked them to jump, they would ask how high. They knew in their hearts that Max felt the same. He risked his life to save theirs, more than once.

"Liz, I don't know how long I have, but…"

"No, don't go!"

"I have to. This isn't my world and it's not your time," said Future-Liz, leaving the words "to die" hanging in the air. "I need you to listen to me and listen to me carefully. In my world, devastating things happened. Yes, we were the reason for it, but my Max came back to the past to try to fix it. When he left, while I was left alone, I had a vision."

Liz held her hand up to stop her. "Wait, you had a vision?"

"Max, when he healed you, when he brought you back from the dead, he changed you."

"What do you mean by _changed_?" Liz asked in confusion.

"I don't know how to explain it. Your human cells started to evolve, becoming like the aliens'. You develop powers similar to theirs'."

"I—I have powers?"

"I can't tell you what they are or when you'll get them, but they will do so much good in this world. Just remember that," Future-Liz said, smiling, knowing what she said was truth. Getting back to her story, she said, "When I had my vision, I saw things that happened in this timeline when Max came here to change the events."

"What happened?"

She went silent. Future-Liz didn't want to give it all away, not knowing what would happen when they left this place, not knowing how much would be affected if present-Liz knew too much. But present-Liz was smart, she knew that much. "People still died, didn't they?" asked Liz. Future-Liz could only look at her, but her eyes gave away the answer.

"That's why I'm here, Liz. That's why I came here to change what Max changed."

"When did you come here? How? Who did you go to?" Liz had so many questions to ask her doppelganger, but she knew neither of them had enough time to fully explain.

Future-Liz ran her fingers through her short hair. "I came here a week later after Max, using the Granilith. Max explained to you how it worked?" Present-Liz nodded. "I didn't know where I was going or what time I would be sent to, but the Granilith sent me to New York."

"New York?" said Liz as her eyebrows rose. "What's in New York?"

As the older Liz stared at her younger self, she sucked in her breath and replied, "Zan."

"Zan," said a confused Liz as if it was the most matter of fact thing in the world with a hint of curiosity.

"When Antar sent the pods here to Earth, they also sent backup pods. One set was sent to Roswell, New Mexico while the other was sent to New York."

"You mean, Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess have—"

Finishing her sentence, Future-Liz said, "Twins. Zan is Max, Lonnie's Isabel, Rath's Michael, and Ava's Tess. Physically, they look alike and they have similar traits, but because their living environment was different from our friends', they grew up alone, but in the process became stronger than our group. They are wilder and major risk-takers, but deep down, they are just like our own."

"So you were sent to them?"

"Yes. They are heading up here as we speak. You will meet them."

"I will?"

"Yes. Do not be frightened by them. They are here to help you change events. They're here to help." Once again, Future-Liz felt her stomach go cold, cold like when she was in the van with the dupes. This was not a good feeling, she knew this already. The feeling transported her back to her last moments with Zan—how she clung to him, wishing to stay just a little bit longer. She knew she didn't have much time once again. She would disappear before she would be able to fix anything. She would leave before she could finish. She would be gone earlier than planned, just like when she had tried to kiss Zan one last time. God, how she wanted to feel his lips on hers on last time…

Focusing on Liz, she spoke, "Liz, listen carefully. They're your friends. Don't fear them, especially not Zan. Things happened when I was in New York. With us…" Her younger self gave her a curious look. Then as she took a breath and bluntly said, "I slept with Zan."

"You what?!" cried out Liz. God, it wasn't just Max Evans himself that the Liz Parkers were drawn to. It was his twin too! It dawned on her that apparently anything that looked like Max and was an alien were enough to drive them mad with lust, passion, and love. "But—but why? How? WHY?"

As Future-Liz laughed at her younger self's outburst, the unsettling feeling in her stomach was growing faster by the second. It was time. She didn't have time to explain how she and Zan came to be nor why she slept with him. She wanted to tell her so badly, but knowing that Zan was on his way, she figured present-Liz would find out for herself. Why ruin the potential fun Zan would bring with him? So she ignored Liz's question. "Liz, it's time for you to wake up,."

"What—what are you talking about?"

"It's time for you to wake up, go back."

"I can't," breathed out Liz. "I killed myself." How could she wake up? How could she go back? She felt her eyes start to grow heavy and she didn't know why nor could she stop it.

"Don't do this, Liz." Future-Liz knew time wasn't on their side. She felt their presence weakening by the second; their link slowly disappearing. _Time, I hate you. Why can't you ever give me more time? I just need a little more… I needed more time with Max, with Zan, and with Liz. Why can't you just grant me this_ , she questioned in her mind..

Knowing what her doppelganger was referring to, Liz replied, "I'm done here. There's nothing left for me. I'm finished." As she spoke those words, Liz knew they were true. How could she possibly go back and act like nothing had happened? The reason she was in this place was because she killed herself. How could she come back to life?

"Oh, there is so much here for you, Liz. You are destined for great things." As the words slipped from her mouth, Future-Liz finally understood why they were here, why she was here facing her younger self. When she was living, she knew what she had done, but frightened by death, she couldn't stop it. She allowed _it_ to disappear with her, within her. While present-Liz hated destiny, hated fate, Future-Liz couldn't help but want to thank them. She was given a second chance and she was going to take it. She placed her hand on her stomach and slipped her other hand under Liz's shirt. Resting her palms against their stomach, she shut her eyes, concentrated hard, and both her hands glowed against their skin.

"What are you doing?" questioned Liz, trying to unsuccessfully move away. She didn't know what her future self was doing. Once the glow disappeared, Liz felt oddly full—heavy, almost.

"I leave you with the greatest gift you could ever imagine—a reason to live and go on breathing," said Future-Liz. "They're coming for you. _He_ 's coming for you." Present-Liz tried to move away and was about to ask what was going on, but then she said, "For his child too."

Liz's eyes widened. "Child? What child? Oh my god, are you—"

Future-Liz stood up and began to walk away, still facing her. It was time to go. "Be strong, Liz Parker. Remember, the future is to be determined."

"No, wait!" cried Liz, reaching out towards her twin, but she was already far too gone. Her body grew tired as her eyes began to fall shut. She thought, _what's happening? What's going on?_

"No, come back, please! Come back!" she yelled hoarsely. "COME BACK!"

As the world around her was growing darker, she heard her future-self say, "Your destiny awaits. Live great, live happily, Liz Parker." But Liz knew what she had done to herself—her life was over, so how could she live happily?

Before her eyes fell tightly shut, Liz could've sworn she saw Future-Max and Future-Liz embrace each other in the far distance. She could hear their whispered words towards each other.

"Hey you," smiled Future-Max as his fingers laced through Future-Liz's. In present-Liz's world, he had been gone for a month, but in this place, time didn't exist for him. It felt as if he had only just disappeared from Liz's world a second ago, but seeing his wife now made him feel as if he hadn't seen her in years.

Future-Liz found herself lost in her husband's familiar loving eyes. In each other's eyes, despite knowing what the other had done with another partner, there was neither regret nor any apologies. "Hey back at you," she replied. She stood on her tippee toes and pressed her lips sweetly against Max's. _Home_ , she thought, _I'm finally home_.

Liz could feel their love for each other grow in her heart. She couldn't explain how, but it felt so familiar to her—the same feeling she had felt with Max, possibly even deeper. She swore she could feel their lips gently touch each others' on her own. They were together again, reunited at last, together forever for all eternity. And in that moment, before she lost consciousness, she knew everything now would change for the better.


	17. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: Attempted suicide and self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.**

_You wanted a hero tonight.  
Well I'm not made of steel.  
I'm not made of steel,  
but your secret's safe with me._

_I can be anything  
that you want me to be—  
a holy cross, some sympathy  
that reminds you not to bleed._

" **Made Of Steel," Our Lady Peace**.

* * *

**December 16, 2000, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

When Liz awoke with a gasp, she found an IV stuck to her arm with machines beeping all over the place. Her eyes danced all over the white room before understanding she was in a hospital. She lifted her arms, only to be stopped by the plastic tubes embedded in her skin. She saw the gauze wrapped around her wrists, hiding her flawed skin from her sight. _Right, I had killed myself_ , she thought. She stared at her bandaged wrists, recalling everything she could remember prior to and after the incident. _I took the razor, cut myself, and then I was trapped in my—OH GOD!_ Quickly, her hands flew down to her stomach, her fingers lightly grazing against the span of her stomach. She felt different physically, not just emotionally. So it hadn't been a dream—she met Future-Liz and saw Future-Max. She was now—

"Elizabeth Parker! What the hell were you thinking?!" cried out Maria as she came barreling in through the small door. Her blonde hair fluttered about as she ran over to the bed and held Liz's face in her very warm and slightly sweaty hands. "What were you thinking, chica?"

"Maria, I—"

"Taking your own life? God, how could you be so stupid!" That wasn't a question; it was a statement.

Unable to stop herself, Liz felt the urge to defend her actions and spoke, "You don't know what I'm going through, Maria. What I _went_ through."

"Liz, nothing can be bad enough to make you kill yourself!"

"Ugh, Maria, don't say anything. You don't understand. You just don't understand."

Maria then placed her hands on her hip, glared at her, and with a scoff, she replied, "Of course I don't understand! I mean, god, Liz! You, my bestest friend in the entire freaking galaxy, tried to kill herself. Do you know how horrible that made me feel? It's as if I wasn't enough to keep you here, that I wasn't a great friend, that I, the best friend, didn't even know the reason why you tried to off yourself., tat you didn't even come to me for help! Didn't you even think about how everyone else would feel? Why are you being so goddamn selfish?"

She flinched at Maria's outburst. Maria was right. She was being selfish. She hadn't realized how everyone around her would be affected. She hadn't meant to make Maria feel unimportant. She was just so overwhelmed by all her problems, all her emotions that all she could think about was ending it all. Oh god, her parents—if they knew!

"Maria, are my parents—"

Maria held her hand up to cut her off. "No, as far as they're concerned, you're home, eating ice cream and watching tear-jerker chick flicks with _your best friend_."

Liz looked down at her lap, feeling guilty, and then looked up. "Why didn't you call them? Why didn't you tell them I was here, what I did?"

"Oh, trust me, I thought about it! Just imagine: _Hey Mr. and Mrs. Parker, guess what? Your daughter is in the hospital. Oh, it's no big deal. SHE JUST TRIED TO FUCKING KILL HERSELF!_ " she yelled.

Liz flinched again. Maria did always have a way with words. "Thank you" was all she could muster up.

"You better thank me, ungrateful little—! If I told them, not only would they rush over here and possibly kill themselves on the road trying to get back here, they would never let you leave the house ever again. They would be more than willingly to send you off to the nut house!"

Liz nodded. Deep down, she was truly thankful to Maria for not calling her parents. She wouldn't even know what to say or do if they knew. She shuddered at the thought of being locked up and diagnosed as a suicidal crazy. "What exactly happened? How did I end up here?"

"Well, after you tried to _kill_ yourself," said Maria with a glare, "Alex and I came over to try to cheer you up, but you didn't answer, so we let ourselves in. We went into your room and found the bathroom door locked. You wouldn't answer so we tried to break it down. But you know, Alex doesn't have any strength in his lanky body and I obviously don't as well. So we called over the Czechs."

Liz's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to cover her gasp. Oh god, _they_ found her? The room began to spin and Liz felt sick to her stomach. Maria took her hand, gripping tightly as if Liz was going to disappear any second. "When the door opened, when we found you, oh god… There was so much blood. It was all over the place—in the water, on the floor. You were covered in it! It was like that elevator scene from The Shining except my best friend was caught in it! Max tried to heal you, but you had already lost so much blood. He was able to stop the blood flow and prevent you from _crossing over_ , and then we took you to the hospital."

Maria then wrapped her arms around her. "God, Liz, do you have any idea how devastated I was? Did you even bother to think about how lonely I would be without you? I love you so much. You're my best friend, my sister! Please don't ever do something like this again."

"I'm sorry, Maria. I won't."

"Promise me, Liz. PROMISE ME."

"I promise. I'm sorry."

The door then flew open and everyone else piled in, practically fighting one another to get through the door. They all spoke at the same time and all Liz could hear was her name being shouted, how stupid she was, and if she ever did this again, they would bring her back just to kill her themselves. Alex and Kyle were shouting her name as if they couldn't believe she was in front of them. Michael was the one calling her names. Isabel was giving her sullen looks. One by one, except Max who stood in the corner staring at her and Tess who found the outside world past the window more interesting, they took her into their arms, crying with happiness that she was alright. In this moment, she forgot all about the pain from before and felt at home. It was as if everything was back to normal, before they abandoned her. She knew they were all right though; she had acted stupidly and now she learned from it.

"Guys, can I get a moment alone with Liz?" asked Max, giving them a look that said his request was more of a command instead. Kyle gave Liz a look and his mouth curved to the side as if to say she was in big trouble. Max turned around to watch them go and when the door shut behind them, there was a moment of silence. Liz held her breath as she heard the heavy breathing of Max. He hadn't hugged her. Obviously, from his rigid stance, he was furious. He then whipped around with a growl, his teeth bared at her. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Liz jumped at the sudden yell. "God, Liz, how can you be so fucking stupid?" It felt as if he flew to her side because suddenly, she was in his arms with his hands stroking her hair. She buried her nose into the crook of his neck and as soon as his scent filled her senses, she felt nostalgic. She had missed this so much. His arms were around her, holding her to his body as if he hadn't seen her in years. She missed feeling his strong frame enveloped around her.

"I'm sorry," she murmured into his shirt, balling his shirt in her fists.

As soon as she spoke those words, he tensed up once again. His arms fell and he took a step away from her to observe her petite frame on the hospital bed. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to react? Grinding his teeth, he let his anger roll out of him. "No, sorry isn't going to cut it! We've always had our problems, but god, Liz… Trying to kill yourself? You of all people should know I would never want that—for you to be dead. YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THIS!"

"I won't do it again."

"You better not! Do you know how much you scared me? You were so still, so pale, so cold! You weren't even conscious. I kept calling your name and I thought—… I thought you were already dead! Do you know how much it reminded me of the day you were shot at the Crashdown? I thought it was happening all over again, that I was losing you, that I—… that I couldn't save you this time!"

Liz knew apologizing wouldn't change a thing, but it was all she could do, all she could offer. She meekly replied, "I'm sorry."

His fingers were permanently attached to his hair. He looked as if he was going to pull out his silky hairs in frustration. "Do you even know what it was like for me to see you dead? That day at the Crashdown, I nearly died and when I saw you yesterday, I—… I lost it! I FUCKING LOST IT, LIZ!" he screamed, saliva foaming at the sides of his mouth.

Liz didn't know what to say or how to react. This whole time, she was worried about not being with Max, that Max was going to be with Tess, but she never thought about how he would feel if she had died. He would be in worse shape than Maria. God, she never even thought about what would happen, how they would all feel… Was she really that selfish?

"I risked my own life, the life of Michael and Isabel, to save yours, and you throw it away so recklessly! Do you not appreciate what I did for you? I don't regret saving you, but do you know what I went through for you?" he continued to yell. He stopped himself short of telling him what he saw in the White Room, what Agent Pierce forced him to watch—her death. He never told her and he didn't want to. He didn't want her to know. "I won't always be around to save you, Liz Parker. But you know I will try. So you better not do this again, or so help me god, I will—"

"I know, I know. You'll kill me." Liz really didn't know what else to say, so she went with humor instead.

"Not funny," growled Max as his nostrils flared.

Liz held up her arms in surrender and then brought them back down when she saw his eyes dart to her wounds. She slipped her arms under the blanket and brought it up to her chin. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry." As she apologized, she rested her hand against her stomach under the cloth. Beside just her friends, besides Max, she now had another reason to go on living.

\- - - -

Liz was grateful to have aliens as friends. She went home later that night. Michael managed to delete her files from the computer system and Tess mind-warped everyone to make it seem as if she was never there in the first place. Of course, she wasn't staying at home alone. Alex, Kyle, and Maria decided to stay over as suicide watchdogs in case she tried to take her own life again. She told them that she wouldn't, but they just wanted to be sure that she was safe. It was quite weird when she was back in her room, confronted with her bathroom.

"Michael and Max tried to clean it up as best as they could," said Kyle, appearing by her door. This information shocked her a little. She couldn't even imagine what it was like for them to see and clean up her blood, especially Max. She shuddered in horror. "Liz, you know I'm not religious, but when I saw you lying there in the hospital, I prayed. Oh god, I prayed like never before. I called on Buddha and God to help you. I—"

"Thank you, Kyle," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine now."

"Liz, did you… Did you do this because of what we did? I mean, of what the group thought of us?"

Liz blinked. Kyle wanted to know if he was the reason for her attempted suicide. "Don't even think that, Kyle. You are not the reason!"

"I just… I mean, it fits the time, you know? We pretended to," he trailed off, scuffling his feet from side to side. "And they found out and we were on the outside for a while there. I just don't—"

"I promise you, Kyle, you were not the reason."

He nodded, slightly satisfied, and went downstairs to join Alex and Maria.

She took a step into her bathroom. It was pure white, whiter than before. Despite this, in her eyes, she felt she could still see her blood stained on the porcelain tub and on the tile floor. She saw the razor that she had killed herself with, dangling dangerously on the edge of the sink. Cringing at the thought of how close to death she had been, she closed the door, not wanting to be reminded of it. It was bad enough she still bared the wounds. Max had tried to heal them in the hospital so they wouldn't leave a scar, but she wanted them to heal normally. She wanted to be reminded of this incident. She wanted to remember.

She remembered Maria mentioning that Isabel and Michael would stop by after she and the guys left. There was no mention of Max though. It wasn't as if she had expected Max to come with them, but she hoped. She hoped he would come, profess his love to her once again, and hold her in his arms while she slept. That's what she needed—his love to help her get by. But she doubt he would show. Like Maria, she knew he felt unimportant in her life. After all, she did cut her wrists with the intent of never coming back, without any care for others around her.

As Liz laid in bed with her fingers gently grazing her stomach, she thought about Zan, the dupes, and her future baby. She, herself, slept with Future-Max, but she didn't get pregnant. Her future-self slept with Zan and she got pregnant. Now that Future-Liz was gone, she was carrying the child for her—Zan's child. How truly messed up her life was. She doubted that any normal teenager was saved from the brink of death from a bullet and slits to the wrists, friends with aliens, slept with their love from the future, met their future-self, and carried their future-self's child whom the father was their love's twin brother. _God, that's confusing_ , she thought. Liz tried not to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but it was all true. Yep, if her parents knew she had tried to take her own life plus this information, they were ship her away as fast as their fingers could dial 911. Doctors would think she was crazy if they ever knew. She could just picture it.

_"And Ms. Parker, you believe you met your future ex-boyfriend?"_

_"No, doctor, you got that wrong. It was my ex-boyfriend from the future, and I don't believe it happened. It did happen."_

_He would scribble down some notes in his notebook, hidden from her view. She could picture him writing down the words, "Patient is delusional."_

" _And you had sexual intercourse with him?"_

_She would reply, "Yes." And he would write, "Patient may have been raped by an older man."_

_"And you met your future self?"_

_She would nod._

_"And what was your future self like?"_

_"She still looks like me, just older, with short hair and she was wearing leather too. Oh, she's pregnant too."_

_"Pregnant? Who is the father?"_

_"The father is my ex-boyfriend's twin."_

_"He has a twin?"_

_"He does now!" she would chuckle out._

" _Are you not pregnant now?" he would ask._

" _She transferred the baby to me."_

" _Transferred? Interesting word. Why would you say 'transferred'?"_

" _Oh, did I forget to tell you? She has alien powers and she gave me her baby."_

_The doctor will write, "Patient believes her future self was impregnated by an imaginary twin of her ex-boyfriend who now gave her present self the child."_

_"So what's my diagnosis, doc?"_

_The doctor, of course, will look at her and then stamp the words "MENTALLY UNSTABLE" and "SUICIDE WATCH" on her file._

Breaking out of her dream scenario, her head snapped towards the hallway when she heard the downstairs door click shut. Sitting up, she walked out of her room and peered down the stairs. She held her breath when she saw Max at the bottom of the stairs. Maria, Alex, and Kyle had left, and Max came. Just as she was about to head down the stairs, she saw a flash of blonde hair. "Isabel?" she breathed to herself. But it wasn't Isabel. It was Tess. She watched as they sat down together on the couch. Liz's hands were already clenched into fists.

"I think I should go up and check on her," said Max, starting to get up from the sofa, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but Tess stopped him by placing her hand on his wrist.

"I think she's sleeping. Alex said Liz hadn't come down since they got here."

Max's eyes shifted around the room, his hand rubbing against his thighs, and nodded in agreement. "Okay, you're right."

Liz wanted to go down and make herself known, but she couldn't. Her goal was still to get Max and Tess together. She pushed aside the growing sadness that tried to overwhelm her again. As the television clicked on with the help of Tess's hand, she watched as Tess rested her head against Max's shoulder. Together they sat watching the box. Though Max looked like he was ready to run, with a scowl and her hand against her stomach, Liz couldn't help but feel anger. She slowly walked to her room and locked herself inside, falling asleep with tears slipping down her face.

Things were going as Future-Max planned, just not of her own.

* * *

**December 18, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

This past weekend had been such hell. Everyone had been shaken up the events that had occurred. A normal teenager life was something they knew they would never have. As usual, they all tried to get back into the swing of things, but everything was a mess. They knew their lives were falling apart and no one knew how to stop it. Everything had changed last summer when the pod squad found out about their past lives and their destiny. Liz slowly grew apart from the group because of it, but Maria, Alex, and Kyle managed to get closer. They knew it was that moment that had changed everything—that moment in the cave—but most couldn't help shake off the feeling that it all also changed Liz, but for the worst.

Michael was one of them who knew something was terribly wrong with Liz. He knew it was her choice to leave Max so he could be with Tess, his supposed-wife, but he saw how much it had crushed the couple to part. It was ironic because ever since Max saved Liz, he had been nagging about them being together—it wasn't safe, they weren't even of the same species, and much more. But after seeing Liz walk away, he felt as if light had been shed and his past thoughts disappeared. These two were in love and it wasn't just puppy love—it was real love. Sure, he had commitment problems (Maria made it known to him every day), but even he could see their feelings for one another. He understood why she left. If he were in her place, he'd do the same, but only he would never had come back. Ever since Liz came back, she had been more and more forcefully in pursuit of getting Max and Tess together as if her feelings didn't matter, as if her feelings didn't exist. That wasn't like Liz, so unlike the Liz he had read about in her journal. The Liz he knew was strong, but she was never the one that was able to ignore or hide her feelings like she had been doing lately. It was as if she knew what would happen in Max and Tess didn't get together. It was like her goal in life, like her life depended on it. What he couldn't understand was why or what had changed.

As he sat in a booth with his cooking apron hung over his shoulder, he watched Liz from afar who was setting up the tables to open the Crashdown. The whole gang was sitting here, feeling the need to be around Liz some more. Alex was sitting in booth with Isabel; they were whispering to each other. Max and Tess were talking over by the counters, which he could tell ticked Liz off. Maria and Kyle were trying to bug the hell out of Liz, which resulted in her constantly scrunching up her face in aggravation. Michael watched as she wiped down the counters, her wrists still wrapped with gauze. The cuts were healing quite nicely, but were still covered in such red anger. He remembered asking her if he should get Max to heal them for her, to make the scars disappear, but she said she wanted to keep them to remember. He understood that part too. He still had scars of when Hank beat him as a child. He kept it to remember, to remind himself never to put himself in that situation again.

Liz went to pull some of the remaining chairs down when he quickly stood up and helped her. She smiled because he had been acting like her big brother lately. Well, he had always acted like her older brother, but now, since she tried to kill herself, he had been overly protective, taking the role of an older brother to the extreme.

"Michael, I can do it," she said as she placed one of the chairs down onto its feet.

He replied, "Don't worry about it. I'll do it," as he flipped over a chair.

"I'm not an invalid." She felt everyone was treating her as if she would break if she made the wrong movement. God, she had tried to kill herself, but she wasn't handicapped. Perhaps just emotionally, but not physically. She was fine, she really was.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezed it lightly, and gave her a weak smile. "I know you're not. Look, I just want to help, okay?" he said. Liz sighed, knowing he wouldn't stop, so she nodded.

As they took the chairs down together, as the group tried to get past this very large bump in their life, the Crashdown doors swung open. Then came strolling in were the dupes.


	18. Chapter 15a

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Meet The Dupes" (Season 2, Episode 8) and "Max In The City" (Season 2, Episode 9).
> 
> All spelling errors are intentional.

… _And you are the one that has stolen my heart.  
And I'm telling you from the start.  
I never thought that you would come.  
I never thought that I could love like this.  
This feeling inside me is growing.  
I never thought that you would come._

" **I Never Thought That You Would Come," Loni Rose**.

* * *

**December 18, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Pandemonium—that's what it was.

It wasn't every day that someone stumbled upon his or her twin if he or she even had one. But for the pod squad, they had doppelgangers—twins—literally strangers with their own faces, breathing and living, clothed in leather and covered in tattoos. It was as if someone had taken a mirror image of the Roswell set, but the image was manipulated to give the other group a grungy appearance. The dupes came as if a tornado had carried them into the café, breezing in past the open doors with the door bell furiously ringing above their heads. They took long slow strides and moved with such grace that one could've sworn the world went into slow-motion. The wind flipped the sides of their hair. They walked with such confident as if they were models on a runway.

Gaping only for a second, the Roswell set quickly stood up in fear; the humans clung onto their alien counterpart, but Liz clutched onto her own arms because she had no one. These newcomers were the enemy. They were shape-shifters. Their lives were at risk. That's what everyone thought at first, everyone except Liz.

Silence. It was dead silent. Eyes were wide, mouths were dropped open, and glowing hands were in the air, ready to assume their positions for a battle. As the bell above the door calmed down and the doors closed, the two sets stood face-to-face. More silence. Both groups analyzed each other, wary of one another. The Roswell group was confused. Just who were these people? Why did they have their faces? Why were they dressed that way? Were they shape-shifters coming to kill them? Would these doppelgangers assume their identities, fooling the humans?

Zan stood tall, his head held up high, unafraid. Leader was written all over his body. Max was the same. Both were tense and calculating a plan in their minds. When Zan saw Liz, he felt his mouth go dry. It was as if someone had kicked him in the gut. It was only a few hours ago when he broke down on the side of the road, crying his eyes out and heartbroken for the first time in his life. Liz was gone yet she was standing right in front of him. The sunlight that came through the window shined on her brunette hair, creating a glow around her. She looked an angel to him, an angel who decided to come back to him after disappearing. "Liz," he breathed out. Not realizing this wasn't the Liz that he held in bed, that he made love to, that disappeared only hours ago, for he was too overwhelmed with the sudden image of her in front of him, he moved to go to her only to be stopped by his self—Max, that is. He stared at the hand that resembled his own on his chest and bared his teeth in anger. "Take yer hands off of meh," he growled through clenched teeth as he brought his face closer to his double, "if ya know what is good for ya."

Max couldn't understand how this shape-shifter knew Liz's name, but damned in hell would he let this alien go near her. He lost her once, no, twice, and he wasn't going to lose her again for a third time. Once was enough, twice was pushing it, and thrice was bound for failure. Glancing quickly at Liz, ignoring her beauty, he was pleased she was at a somewhat far distance from this alien. If this enemy tried to get through him, he would have enough time to stop him, enough time to protect Liz. As his hand began to glow in a threatening manner, Max stepped forward to the man who wore his face till their noses were almost touching. Fiery auburn eyes met with fiery auburn eyes.

"You're going to have to go through me," spoke Max.

"You flexin' on me, Duke Number Two?" growled Zan, baring his teeth at his twin once again. "Take off yer hands before I do somethin' ya gonna regret."

"No chance, asshole," replied Max, intently staring at Zan.

Angered by his twin's insolence, Zan pushed Max off. With a little help from Zan's powers, Max stumble back further than a normal shove would. Max regained his balance and charged after him, ready to throw a glowing punch at his double. Liz knew they were going to fight one another till the either was no longer standing. She couldn't allow this to happen. She knew Zan and the dupes were good. She watched as Zan's hand became bright with energy, his arm in the air ready to throw down. How was she going to tell her group that? They can't know! If they did, Future-Max and Future-Liz's plans would be ruined! As if today was in her favor, she saw Kyle begin to move to sit next to Tess. She quickly stuck her foot out a little and tripped him. With a yelp, Kyle fell forward into the two bodies that were ready to lunge at one another, but then he kept running with a scream till he reached the other side, afraid to be hit with the alien powers. Alex watched with an amused confused expression.

"Kyle, what are you doing?" asked Tess.

Kyle looked over at Liz with wide eyes. He glared when he saw her put on an innocent face as if she had no idea what she had done. "I—Li—She—I...! Umm… I'm stopping a bloodbath?" said a confused Kyle. "Who knows what they could do to each other? I mean, why aren't you guys stopping this? Buddha said—"

"This isn't the time for Buddha, Kyle," said Alex who threw his arm over his friend's shoulder and led him down to a seat.

Liz mouthed words of apology to Kyle. She had to get a way to stop them and Kyle just happened to be the closest. She then turned her attention to the two men that changed her life. "Zan," whispered Liz, which caused Max's and Zan's eyes to snap to her. She hadn't expected him to look so much like Max. If anything, he resembled more of Future-Max with the leather. She wasn't even sure what she was expecting; only that Future-Liz told her that their personalities were different. In her mind, she did think of Zan as the splitting image of Max, but imagining in your mind and seeing right before your eyes were two different things. She took in his tattered clothes, the exposed chiseled muscles, the tattoos that inked his skin, and the piercings that dangled on his skin. She didn't know what to think, but she felt her heart thump harder and faster. His intense stare raised goosebumps on her skin, making her shiver with anticipation, but then she realized it wasn't just him staring at her. The doubles were all looking at her as if she grew a second head and her arms became tentacles.

Max was looking at her too. "Liz?" he asked, curiously. In his eyes, this alien knew Liz and Liz knew him back. But that was impossible… Wasn't it?

Zan moved to her again, but this time he was stopped by Rath's arm on his shoulder. He turned around to command Rath to let him go, but before he could speak, Rath spoke low enough for only him to hear, "It's not her."

"Rath, what are ya talkin'—"

Hiding his face behind Zan's head, he whispered, "Dat's not Liz. The Liz ya knew is gone."

Rath watched as something extinguish in Zan's eyes. He felt guilty for doing this to Zan, but he had to make Zan understand that Future-Liz was gone, that this younger version of Liz wasn't who Zan had mistaken her for, that this Liz belonged to his twin. He watched as his friend turn his eyes back to the brunette with a sullen face. Rath was also sad about Future-Liz's disappearance. He, himself, wanted to jump for joy when he saw younger-Liz, but he knew this Liz didn't know them, that she'd freak out if they ran and hugged her as if they were the best friends. He noted the torn look on Lonnie's and Ava's faces. They were all controlling themselves around her, but they couldn't help but feel relaxed knowing she was in their presence. Zan glanced back at Rath, nodding as if to say he was correct.

Lonnie turned away from Liz as if to gather her courage and spoke. "Yo, so we's gonna jus' stand 'ere and stare, or are we's gonna sit and have a chat?" she said, addressing the lot. She turned to Ava and muttered, "So cornball," as she rolled her eyes. Ava could only laugh in response.

"What the hell is going on?!" cried Maria as she clung to Michael in fear.

Rath's eyes trailed to the blonde with the full red lips. His eyes wandered all over her curvy body, appreciating the orange mini-skirt she was wearing. Her pale legs seemed to last forever, disappearing under that short fabric. He could've sworn that if he stood closer to her, he could smell her heat. "Hey baby, ya look good enough to eat," he said, wiggling his tongue out at her. He saw the blonde's eyes go wide in horror. He wanted to laugh at her shocked expression, noting that she seemed very innocent. He watched as his double try to leap at him only to be stopped by some short bulky jock-lookalike guy who was telling him to calm down. Then the short blonde tried to do the same, but she was stopped by the same jock guy who was struggling. _What a spitfire_ , Rath thought. He quickly held his hands up in surrender and smiled. _So you belong to my twin_ , he thought, _Nice! He's got good taste_. He took in the Metallica shirt his twin wore, the tattered black jeans, and the spiky hair. Addressing his own group, he said, "I approve," pointing to Michael.

"You look exactly like me!" exclaimed Isabel to Lonnie.

"No shit," sarcastically said Ava, rolling her eyes at this Roswell group's stupidity.

Lonnie scrunched up her face in disgust. "I doubt that, cornball. What da fuck did ya do to mah face—wash it wit' bleach?" Isabel's mouth dropped open as her hand rose to her face in shock. Never had anyone addressed her that way. She was always known for her beauty, known for the drooling men who lusted after her; she practically ruled West Roswell High! Alex blinked in confusion. Isabel's twin was calling Isabel ugly! _But they look exactly alike_ , he thought. _This is too weird._

Ava snorted. "Lon', ya think ya got it bad? Look at mah twin. She looks like she's got a pole up her a-hole, among a few other things." She studied her double—super curly dry blonde hair with too much makeup caked on her face. "She looks like a freakin' gerbil, you know, like a rodent that ate all the makeup on Earth!" She stuck her left hand out while the right hand bunched up together at the finger tips as if to curse at her with the Italian curse hand gesture. "Want a treat? I'd give ya some pellets if ya do a trick for meh," taunted Ava.

Tess glared at her with slit eyes, instantly hating this person who wore her face. "Screw you!" She was ready to lung at Ava, but Kyle stopped her. He seemed to be stopping everyone from fighting today.

Lonnie laughed. "Man, who knew da hood would fuck up da other set?"

"I don't think it's da hood, man. I think it's dis fuckin' crazy town," said Rath, jumping into the conversation. "Oh man, da second we passed dat sign, 'Welcome to _Ros-hell_ ,' I knew dis town was off its rockers!"

As the three laughed, Zan quietly watched Liz. This Liz was younger, but she still had the same large brown eyes. She was still just as petite with the luscious dark hair, only her hair was longer than his Liz. He had sex with her future self, but he wondered what it would be like fucking her with his fingers wrapped around her long hair. He wanted to tug on her hair as he took her from behind, her cute tush cupped in his hands. He wanted to hear her cry out as her smooth back arched towards him. Smirking, he could tell Liz was getting a little nervous with his staring that undressed her, but snapped himself out of it. This wasn't the Liz he knew. For all he knew, this Liz was completely different from Future-Liz. I mean, after all, they were from different time lines, so he turned his attention back to his other self.

Zan scratched his scruffy jaw and plopped down into one of the booths. With his arm on the armrest, he said, "We gonna talk or what?"

"Who are you?" asked Max, following suit, sitting across from Zan.

"We're you," responded Lonnie, sitting in a booth behind Zan.

Isabel sat down next to her brother. "I don't understand…"

"Maxwell, you can't trust them. They're shape-shifters!" yelled Michael, standing beside Maria to protect her from his look-alike.

" _Oh, Maxwell, we can't trust them. They're evil, evil little aliens!_ " taunted Rath in a little girly voice, annoyed by their goody-two-shoe act.

Lonnie chuckled. "I know you must be buggin' out right now, 'cause I'd be buggin' too."

"How is this possible?" Alex asked, collapsing into one of the bar stools.

"I agree with Michael—they have to be shape-shifters," responded Kyle, taking a seat next to Alex.

Zan sat up straighter, now resting his arms on the table. "We ain't no shape-shifters." Them—shape-shifters? They were god-damn royalty!

"You can't seriously expect us to believe you're the twins of our friends here," said Kyle with disbelief.

Zan replied, "Believe it, Jock. There were eight pods originally. Four went here, da other four went to New York."

"New York?" questioned Max.

Kyle pouted in the background, saying to mostly himself, "I'm not a jock… anymore."

"The Big Apple. Center of the universe. Amazing pizza," replied Rath. "Yo, I'm Rath."

"Lonnie."

"I'm Ava."

"And I'm Zan."

Max carefully observed them. He didn't know whether to believe them or blast them into oblivion, but he couldn't help but feel something inside him told him that they were telling the truth, that they weren't shape-shifters. There was a connection between them, but he still didn't know enough about them. For all he knew, they were the enmy.

"I'm Liz," she said, breaking the somewhat uncomfortable moment. She knew Max well enough to see him debating whether to trust these people or not. Since she knew she could, trust them that is, she decided to take the first step. Perhaps the rest would follow.

Upon hearing Liz's voice, Zan's eyes snapped to the brunette. She was sitting on the bar stools next to the some tall lanky guy. He smiled at her bravery for introducing herself first. That was one thing she had in common with Future-Liz. He wondered what other qualities they shared. She gave a nervous wave at his direction.

"Hello," she meekly said.

Zan watched as her body moved with her greeting. He took notice of how her breasts bounced slightly with her arm movement. He wanted to feel her soft body against his own. He wanted her underneath him. He wanted to be _in_ her, inside her sweet, wet—. He shifted in his seat, trying to ignore the growing bulge forming in his leather pants.

"Liz!" hissed Maria. She couldn't believe Liz was introducing herself so freely to these strangers! "We don't even know if they're good or not!"

"They're harmless, Maria."

"We don't know that, Liz!"

Rath smirked at the blonde's name. "Yeah, _Maria_ , we're harmless," he said with a wink and a nod.

Maria eyed him weirdly, shuddered a little, and found safe haven behind Kyle who wasn't feeling particularly happy about being the responsible person saving everyone else today. "Hey, stop that!" said Kyle only to sigh in defeat when Maria wrapped herself around his arm.

"Kyle, you're my friend, so be my friend," she said.

"Go to Michael!"

"But he's going to blast them!" she said, pointing at Michael whose hands looked like they were flashlights.

"You gonna introduce yerselves or we gotta play a guessin' game?" asked Lonnie with raised eyebrows.

Max pointed at the gang, introducing them. "That's Michael, Isabel, Tess, and these are our friends: Alex, Kyle, Maria, and Liz."

"Why are you here?" asked Michael, still very wary of them.

Zan turned his attention back to the pod squad. "We can't really discuss why—"

"Why not?" asked an impatient Michael.

"If ya let him finish! God, you's jus' like Rath," Lonnie said.

Rath pretended to look hurt. "Hey!"

"It's true, baby," winked Lonnie.

Zan elbowed his sister to stop her soon-to-grow banter with Rath. "Anyways, like I was sayin', we can't really discuss the details, but know dat we's here to keep yer asses out of trouble."

"Why do we need your help? You look like you get into plenty of trouble by yourselves," said Maria.

"Baby, I'll show ya trouble," winked Rath, blowing a kiss to her.

Zan ignored Rath's flirting with the blonde chick called Maria. He said, "There's a war comin' and we betta prepare for it. We's stronger together than separated."

"I don't even know what the war's about," replied Max.

Zan answered, "We know it's 'bout us… da original royal four. Some kind of revolution happened, and they's were all killed and sent to Earth to be reborn. Ever since then, da hood's been a war zone. Like I said, together we's stronger. Millions of lives hang in the balance or whatever."

Time ticked away without a care. Liz had decided to not open the Crashdown in light of the new guests. Early morning had turned to late evening. The group fell into conversation with the dupes about their lives in New York—what it was like for them, when they realized they were different, if they had the same powers as the Roswell pod squad, and much more. They were all still suspicious of one another, but were slowly opening up. The dupes couldn't help but wonder, "These are the people we're supposed to be saving? What a disappointment!"

Alex pressed the button on the soda machine. "Should I do it? I'll do it. No, wait, I shouldn't. Umm… hey ladies, in my hands are two cokes. Do you want to get in on this?" rehearsed Alex. He shook his head. After psyching himself up for a more minutes, he walked over to the table with the two drinks. "Ladies, uh… frosty beverage?" he asked, holding up the cups.

Lonnie looked up from where she was picking at the bottom of her boots and saw the tall skinny kid, Alex. She smiled at his bashful look. He wasn't her usual type, but he seemed… sweet? Plopping her foot down, she ran a finger down his skinny arm and pinched his ass cheek. "No three-ways tonight, opie. Maybe later," she said with a wink. Isabel just blushed in horror.

Alex flustered, placed the drinks on the table, and went back over to Kyle who was currently eyeing Ava with great interest. To Kyle, Ava wasn't like Tess. She was spunkier, cuter, and sexy whereas Tess was the pet dog that drooled after Max constantly. He watched as Ava twirled her hair around her finger while lazily smacking her gum while Tess was scowling at her—they weren't getting along one bit.

Tess crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Favorite color?"

"Black," replied Ava.

Tess waited. "Aren't you going to ask me what's mine?"

Ava flipped her hair and turned to the side, facing away from her twin. "I don't care?"

Tess could only let out a scream of frustration.

"She's cute," Kyle said.

Alex's eyebrows rose. "Who?"

"Ava," he said, nodding his head over to the blonde-and-pink-haired girl.

"Dude! That's Tess's twin!" Alex replied with an elbow to Kyle's side.

Kyle laughed and gave his friend a light shove. With a wink, he said, "Come on, as if you don't want to get into Isabel's _and_ Lonnie's pants." Alex just remained silent with wide eyes, staring at the lovely ladies in front of him.

"So you and opie a thing?" asked Lonnie, letting her eyes wander to Alex.

Isabel began to cough after choking on her saliva in shock. "What?! No, no, no, noooo, we're just friends, no, no, noooo," she said, shaking her head.

"'cause tellin' meh 'no' several times is gonna make me believe it," said Lonnie, rolling her eyes.

Maria, herself, was trying not to look at Rath. He looked so much like Michael, minus the crazy hair and the tattoos. Sure, Rath was cute, but Michael was the only one for her. Still, she couldn't shake the idea.

"I wonder what it would be like," breathed out Maria.

"Like what?" Liz tilted her head in confusion.

"You know," she said suggestively, "to be with Rath."

"Maria!"

"I'm just wondering! No harm in that."

Liz frowned at her best friend. Wasn't Maria freaking out about Rath only moments ago? So Future-Liz had been right—Zan had come after all. She wondered how much he knew. Did he know about Future-Max coming here as well? What did Zan feel for her future self? Was Future-Liz special to him? Does he see her as Future-Liz or as someone separate?

"So where are you guys staying tonight?" she asked the dupes.

Ava shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. In da van? We don't got much cash on us."

"My parents are out of town. You guys can stay here for a while."

"No, Liz," replied Max. "No offense to you all, but Liz, I don't trust leaving them alone with you."

Rath just shrugged. "None taken, Duke."

"Don't worry, _Max_ ," said Zan. "I'll take good care of her." Max glared at him.

"Liz, are you crazy?" hissed Maria. That's it—Maria knew her best friend had gone crazy. She was sure of it, but Liz brushed it off, saying it was alright.

"Do you want me to stay with you? Or Alex? Kyle even!"

Liz smiled. "No, I'll be fine. Don't worry." She then turned her attention over to Zan who had walked up to her during the conversation. She tried not to gasp. Throughout the whole day, she had only seen him from afar, but now seeing him up close, really up close… He really did remind her of Future-Max with the leather outfit. They both had this tortured depressed look, all the while looking as confidentially sexy as possible. She tried to ignore the desire to run her fingers across his tattoos, seeing if they felt different from his own natural skin. She mentally kicked herself when she wondered if he had any tattoos hidden from her and how much she would like to find out where they were. She and Future-Liz was right: anything that resembled Max Evans is on their to-do list, literally.

"So how did ya know mah name?" asked Zan who could feel Max's stare that sent daggers at his back.

Liz looked over at her best friend and then to Zan. "I don't know what you mean," she said, cursing at herself on the inside for saying his name earlier. To play coy, she replied, "How did you know _my_ name?"

His eyes studied her. "You's knew I was comin'," he stated.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way Liz would know you guys were coming," said Maria, laughing. Then there was silence. She saw the two staring at each other as if nothing else had existed in the room. "Liz? I am right, right Liz?"

"Alright, it's getting late and I best be going home," announced Alex.

"Yeah, me too. I gotta get home to—WOAH!" exclaimed Kyle.

Even though Zan knew this wasn't his Liz, he couldn't stop himself. Just seeing her so close to him, he couldn't think correctly. She was real. She was there, standing right in front of him. She was alive, breathing and beating. She was just as innocent and if possible, more beautiful. He couldn't help but stare at her lips that seemed to beg for him to nibble on them. When Future-Liz was with him, he claimed her without her asking. He just took her whenever he felt like it and she never complained. To be restricted now was torture. How could one go from pleasing himself with his angel only to be held back? Once he caught a whiff of her vanilla scent, one he was so familiar with, he knew he couldn't control himself. With a yelp from Liz, he took her into his strong arms and planted a kiss on the lips he had been missing.

Yes, pandemonium—that's what it was.


	19. Chapter 15b

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Adia" won Fanfic of the Month (May 2009) at A Roswellians' Fantasy Convention. YAY!
> 
> Here's a quick recap for those who are getting confused with the events:  
> \- Future-Max travelled to the past to get Max to fall out of love with Liz.  
> \- He sleeps with Liz and disappears the next morning.  
> \- Liz has a breakdown and tries to kill herself. During this time, she is in her dream realm/mind, trying to figure things out. After much anguishing torture, she realizes that most of her feelings are a mixture of her own and Future-Max's who had also tried to kill himself.  
> \- It is in this realm that she meets Future-Liz who tells her that the Dupes are coming.  
> \- Future-Liz knows she can't go back (that she will cease to exist) so she transfers the baby that she and Zan created in Liz.  
> \- Last two chapters (Chapter 14 and 15A): The dupes came and are introduced. Zan kisses Liz.
> 
>   
> All spelling errors are deliberate in this chapter.

_One night to be confused,  
one night to speed up truth.  
We had a promise made,  
four hands and then away._

_Both under influence,  
we had divine scent  
to know what to say.  
Mind is a razor blade._

_To call for hands of above,  
to lean on,  
wouldn't be good enough  
for me, no._

_One night of magic rush,  
the start a simple touch.  
One night to push and scream  
and then relief._

_Ten days of perfect tunes,  
the colors red and blue.  
We had a promise made.  
We were in love._

_To call for hands of above,  
to lean on,  
wouldn't be good enough  
for me, no._

_To call for hands of above,  
to lean on,  
wouldn't be good enough._

_And you, you knew the hands of the devil.  
And you kept us awake with wolf teeth.  
Sharing different heartbeats  
in one night._

_To call for hands of above,  
to lean on,_ _  
wouldn't be good enough  
for me, no._

" **Heartbeats," Jose Gonzalez**.

* * *

**December 18, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

It took her by surprise. She was just standing there and they were talking. Then all of the sudden, he… She was… Liz blinked when she felt his large hand against her cheek. His warm lips were pressed against her tightly-shut ones. She could see his closed eyes, the long dark lashes resting against his tanned skin, and as much as she wanted to close hers, the shock overwhelmed her. Her eyes just remained frozen open as her mind halted her from thinking. She could feel his breath tingle her upper lip. The coarse unshaven beard scratched against her smooth jaw. Her lips were tightly pressed together, but she could've sworn she tasted a hint of cinnamon and menthol. She came to believe this was a very uniquely Zan taste.

She eyed the black metal cuffs on his wrists, the chipped black nail polish on his fingernails, the dark eyeliner that coated his eyelids, his scruffy beard, and his gelled spiky hair. The smell of leather from his vest and pants overwhelmed her. He was a total punker and she shivered at this notion. Her hand slowly reached up to place its self on his chiseled arm to balance herself from the force of his lips, but she stopped herself. What would happen if she were to touch him? What would his skin feel like on hers? All her blood rushed upwards, filling her cheeks with such color that it would put pomegranates to shame.

Perhaps it was the blood that was coursing through her face that blocked out all the sounds. She heard a soft sigh emit from Zan that was almost blocked out by his heavy breathing. Then as if someone had turned off the mute button, all she could hear were the shrieks in the café. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She had been so shocked by the action, by the kiss, that she had forgotten there were other people in the room.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH!" cried both Alex and Kyle who chose to point at the pair repeatedly as if to accuse them.

"Liz is kissing Zan!" cried Alex.

"Zan is kissing Liz!" yelled Kyle.

Liz blinked slowly, afraid to move. She was too afraid to move. Her body felt numb and she couldn't bring herself to pull away. He held her to him; his hand forcing their close proximity. Here was Zan kissing her in front of everyone. _In front of everyone!_ It was as if someone picked her up and threw her on the set of Valley Girl, except Zan was much sexier than a young punked-out Nicholas Cage. She stood awkwardly, pressing against the counters. Her hands were in the air as if she was about to being arrested, just an inch away from touching Zan, but she could feel the heat from his body. Her eyes flickered over to her friends and rested on Max who looked like he was ready to explode. No, he had already exploded.

Zan was oblivious to everything. Within his reach was Liz Parker and her lips were on his. She was sweet, ripe, and his for the taking, but she was stiff in his presence. Future-Liz was never stiff; she was always very responsive, very wanton-like. He opened his eyes to find himself staring into her frightened ones. _Liz, why are you scared_ , he thought, _we've done this before. What's with the_ — He then mentally kicked himself. This wasn't Future-Liz. It was Liz as in present-Liz. He had known this fact yet he still kissed her. He blinked rapidly as realization set in and then he moved away from her, already missing the feel of her skin against his palm. _Shit_ , he cursed himself, _Fuck. What do I say now? That I'm sorry that I practically attacked her? That I momentarily got confused, mixing her with her future-self? Fuck_.

Ava buried her face into her hands. She thought, _Zan, ya fuck-up. What am I gonna do wit' ya?_

Rath groaned and turned around, hissing profanities to himself. He thought, _Damnit, duke! That ain't fucking her!_

Lonnie's eyebrows just rose up in question. She thought, _I have an idiot for a bro_.

How was Zan going to get himself out of this? He saw Max practically steaming on the corner of his eyes. This was not a good beginning to making friends. He ran his fingers through his gelled hair and burst out in laughter, even if it was an awkward forced laugh.

"Hahahahaha!" he belted out. When he saw everyone still giving him weird looks, he continued. "Hah… hahahaha!" _Who ya tryin' to convince, boy_ , he thought.

The kiss took Max by surprise as well. He thought they were just chit-chatting (yes, he was watching them) and before he knew it, his twin was mauling her. He resisted himself long enough. He sat down long enough before automatically jumping up. First, this trash tried to get his hands on her and then he forces himself on his precious Liz? _Yeah, you're going down, motherfucker_ , he thought.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" screamed Max as he tried to throw himself at his doppelganger. Kyle quickly restrained him, but he feared more for his life than for Zan's. Max, of course, was an alien and Kyle was just a human. Who knows what Max could've done to Kyle or to his precious fit body.

Automatically stepping up, Zan let his words get the best of him because that's who he was. He would never let someone get away with the last word and he was, of course, quite snarky most of the time. "Calm down, dukey dos. I jus' gettin' da lay of da land." As soon as those words left his lips, he could practically feel Ava in his head giving him a beat-down. He knew Rath was ready to strangle him and Lonnie was just rolling her eyes at him.

"A lay of the—I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" yelled Max. At this point, Kyle was at a forty-five degree angle, using his feet to keep Max from going anywhere.

Michael let out a breathy growl. Liz was practically his sister and this… this evil clone of Max's forced himself on her! He was the second in command; it's his job to protect his loved ones. Yes, it was his time to protect Liz. "NO, MAX, I'LL KILL HIM FOR YOU!" shouted Michael.

"No, no, no!" quickly said Alex who ended up in the same degree angle as Kyle as he prevented Michael from reaching the dupe. Despite his lanky appearance, Alex did have quite a good amount of muscle on him.

"Come on, like ya wouldn't do wha' I did jus' now… Ya don't mind, eh, angel? I jus' gettin' a lil welcome, dat's all," he said, addressing Liz with a wink.

Liz blushed furiously, more than just previously from the kiss. She never had someone speak to her that way. His language was crude, his actions animalistic, his manners uncouth, but it all intrigued her. Where Max was kind, thoughtful, and a gentleman who never took advantage of her, Zan was a stark contrast. She looked away to find Maria smirking in her direction. Isabel just stood there, stunned and Tess… she looked damned proud as if things were working out in her favor (Liz figured they kind of were).

"Nothin' to git worked up 'bout. Jus' a kiss. Nothin' special. Ya guys act like you's all Marys," said Zan.

 _Nothing special? Is he really telling me that kiss was for nothing_ , questioned Liz. Her stunned face quickly turned into a scowl. All her previous thoughts of how sexy he was flew out of the window. He was the one that kissed her and he was saying it was nothing special? She could feel rage build up inside of her.

"Valenti, let go of me!" shouted Max to Kyle.

"Whitman, if you don't get off of me, I'm going to explode your bits to smithereens!" yelled Michael.

Alex and Kyle stepped away with a "Yahhh!" noise, afraid of what they might do to them. As much as they cared for their friends and wanted to stop a bloodbath, they cared more for their bodies, more namely their privates. They quickly huddled to a corner, their legs slightly clenched together and bent at the knees.

"You stay the fuck away from her!" Max growled to his twin. Instead of once again charging towards Zan to break his face in, he took Liz's hand and forcefully led her to the backroom of the café.

Maria bounced over to Alex and Kyle. Isabel sat down, forcing Michael to sit next to her. Tess scowled at the sight of Max and Liz disappearing behind the Employees Only door. Ava and Lonnie shared a look and sighed.

Rath appeared behind Zan, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You're an idiot," he said.

Zan watched as an angry Liz was being led away from him by his double. He pissed her off; he knew that because he did it on purpose. She wasn't Future-Liz, his Liz. She was someone else and he had made the mistake of confusing them both. _I'm sorry, angel. I thinks dis is for da best_ , he thought.

"I know," he breathed out in response to Rath.

* * *

Once the door swung close, Max quickly ran his hand all over Liz, making sure she wasn't hurt in any other way besides being forcefully kissed. Liz smiled at his concern. To be honest, at first, she didn't really mind so much that Zan kissed her, but then she was in rage that he planted one on her without permission and played it off as nothing. _Who does that_ , she wondered.

He took her in his arms, satisfied that she was there before him and not by his twin. "Are you alright, Liz?" he asked, still running his hands up and down her arm as if he was in doubt of his own checking of her body.

She bit her lower lip and stopped him by placing her hand over his. "I'm fine," she said.

"You sure? Because I can check with my pow—"

"Max, stop. I'm fine. I'm not bleeding or hurt or anything."

"But are you—"

"Stop," she said with a small laugh. "I'm okay."

Max sighed in relief, glad she was alright. He had always been protective of Liz; that came naturally to him as if it was programmed in him since birth. Especially with the recent events, he had to be more cautious. He wasn't going to let her slip out of his hands that easily. He was going to keep her safe.

Realizing the state they were in—her hands over his, their body in very close proximity of each other—Max stepped back. Liz frowned at this. It was as if someone had flicked on the light bulb and all the past came rushing to haunt them. Liz slept with two men. Liz tried to kill herself. Liz wasn't who he thought she was. He stepped away and rubbed his hand against his stomach as if he was trying to get rid of her germs, but really it was done out of uncertainty. He didn't even finish processing her past actions, but now with this kiss… He knew it wasn't her fault, but it seemed as if the world was striving to hurt him, to taunt him, to break him. Understanding she was fine, he nodded and went back to the front of the café. He didn't want to be near her… not yet.

Liz sighed, plopping herself down on the sofa. She knew why he left. She didn't even have to think about it anymore. It was a moment where everything was forgotten, a moment where they seemed good again—it was a false moment. Silently, she cursed Zan. Who gave him the right to just kiss her like that? Who said she wanted to be kissed for no reason? In the end, she was utterly confused by everything. She let out a small scream of frustration. Annoyed, she scratched at the gauze. Her skin was healing, but it felt like there were ten mosquitoes trapped underneath. She wondered if the dupes had seen the gauze wrapped around her wrists. Probablynot, she thought, _They were probably too busy introducing themselves… Oh, and let's not forget Zan and his King Kong_ act. After a moment later, she rolled her sleeves down, covering the wounds, and went back outside to face the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross-posted from fanfiction.net:
> 
> A lot of you raised interesting points and questions. I think it's best to answer some of them here in the author's note because some of you might be wondering the same thing and I think it's best to get it out of the open.
> 
> In the hospital, Future-Liz transferred the baby just when Liz woke up. Later, Liz left the hospital so this means the medical testings were done BEFORE the pregnancy. This is why no one knows Liz is pregnant yet.
> 
> After reading this chapter, you will realize that Liz has not told the dupes about her knowing Future-Liz yet. Seeing that she couldn't tell anyone about Future-Max, she's not saying a word about Future-Liz because she doesn't know how much she could change. This means she's not revealing her pregnancy to anyone yet because it could change so many things. But of course, eventually the truth has to come out and this will be addressed in later chapters.


	20. Chapter 16

_God that was strange to see you again.  
Introduced by a friend of a friend,  
smiled and said 'yes I think we've met before.'  
In that instant it started to pour,  
captured a taxi despite all the rain.  
We drove in silence across Pont Champlain  
and all of the time you thought I was sad,  
I was trying to remember your name..._

_This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin,  
tried to reach deep but you couldn't get in.  
Now you're outside me.  
You see all the beauty.  
Repent all your sin._

_It's nothing but time and a face that you lose.  
I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose.  
I'll write you a postcard.  
I'll send you the news.  
From a house down the road, from real love..._

_Live through this, and you won't look back...  
Live through this, and you won't look back...  
Live through this, and you won't look back..._

_There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave._

_You were what I wanted.  
I gave what I gave.  
I'm not sorry I met you.  
I'm not sorry it's over.  
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save._

_I'm not sorry there's nothing to save..._

" **Your Ex-Lover Is Dead," Stars**.

* * *

**December 18, 2000, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

It was hard, but Liz managed to convince Max to go home and that it was alright if the dupes were staying at her place. Uneasy about the whole situation, Max trusted Liz enough to judge people. He was still in rage about Zan kissing her. How would anyone feel if he saw the love of his life being kissed by someone else? He would act exactly like Max had… with rage and out for blood.

The situation ended just as fast as it happened. It all took place in one conversation. Zan's lips were on hers. He pulled back. Liz was stunned. Alex and Kyle stopped Max from punching his lights out. The dupes cursed at their stupid brother. That was it.

"You stay away from her," said Max, still on the edge of his emotions. He was ready to fight. His entire body screamed for a beating, for his arms to swing out, but he held himself back. His control was ready to snap, but he refused to lose his cool in front of this trash. Instead, he chose to grip onto the counter, exerting whatever anger was coursing through his body into the slab.

"Ya can't tell meh what to do. I ain't one of yer subjects," replied Zan. "I do whatever I want."

"If I find out that you do anything against her will or hurt her in any way, I'll hunt you down," growled Max. It was bad enough he had to leave Liz alone with these dupes because he wouldn't be able to protect her from them. _Damn, Liz, why are you so trustful of others_ , thought Max.

Zan scoffed and smirked. "Trust meh, whatever I do, she'll want."

Any harder with his grip, Max would've broken off a piece of the counter. He tried to keep his powers under control when he saw the lights flickering. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise up. This guy… This guy didn't apologize for what he had done. Instead, this asshole thought it was okay for him to do whatever he wanted. He acted like Liz was his property and Max hated his arrogant character. "You fucking ass—"

"Look, look, it'll be fine, okay, duke?" said Ava who, in the end, was forced to step in as peace maker. "I'll watch her. Nothin' gonna happen to her."

"See that it doesn't," said Max before forcing himself walking out of the Crashdown.

"Yer a fuckin' douchebag, Zan. Why would ya provoke him? You know betta," yelled Ava. She had enough with his cocky attitude. It was fine the other times, but this was unlike those times. This was a different situation. They needed to be on the good side of their twins. They needed to work together, not be split apart.

"I jus' don't like him. He thinks he's all that," replied Zan.

Ava sighed. "But Zan, ya think ya all that too."

Zan twitched, knowing she had a point. Ava always had a point and he hated that. "I need a smoke," he said, heading out the café.

"I thought you quit," she replied.

"I hide it well," he said, not even turning around, and was off.

It hadn't been a smart move for him to kiss Liz, seeing as how he had just met the Roswell gang. They were still unsure of whether he and his family were the enemy, and to do such a bold move at a time like that was not intelligent at all, but he didn't regret it either. It was the best feeling he had in hours since Future-Liz's vanishing. Her lips brought him home. In the few seconds she was in his arms, he travelled back to New York, back to his dirty home where he shared many loving moments with his Liz. Sure, he felt guilty. He knew she wasn't the same person, but he couldn't control himself… Not when it came to Liz Parker. Was it her tiny button nose? Her dark brown eyes? Her silky long hair? Her pale freckled skin? Her scent? Her petite frame? He didn't know, but there was something about Liz Parker and he couldn't stay away. She was like a drug—something both bad and good for him, and totally addictive.

He stepped into a convenience store, bought a packet of cigarettes, and growled when the cashier stared at him as if he was some kind of freak. "Ya got a prob, buddy? I fuckin' smash yer face if ya keep lookin' at meh dat way," he said. The guy stuttered and looked away, choosing to head into the back room to hide. Zan let out a frustrated growl, shaking his head. _This fucking town, I swear,_ he thought. He found a wooden bench, stepped on top of the seat, and sat down on ledge of the backing. Placing the flimsy white stick on his lips, he cupped his hands together and lit it up with his powers. The smoke swirled inside his mouth and down into his lungs, only to be blown out.

**Flashback** : _Her body was warm against his, perhaps too warm, but he needed to hold her. His skin screamed for hers. He pressed his body down on hers, satisfied that her breasts were flattened against his chest. He felt her sink deeper into the bed with his weight. "I'm not him."_

_Future-Liz's arms came around his shoulders and she whispered into his neck, "No, you're not. You're Zan."_

_He was satisfied with that. She was there with him and not his twin. She was his in this moment._

"I miss you," he said out loud, hoping that Future-Liz, wherever she was, would hear him. He flicked the cigarette, watching the ash fall and disappear into the night. "I've only known ya for two weeks and somehow ya wormed yerself into mah… No one's ever done dat. God, what did ya do to meh? I can't get ya out of mah head. Yer there constantly. I see yer face every time I blink. I can't not see ya."

**Flashback** : _"Don't," she pleaded with him, closing her eyes._

" _Angel, look at me," he said as he gazed down on her. His body trapped her against the wall._

" _I can't," she meekly replied._

" _Please, Liz, look at me," he asked of her. Her dark eyes challenged him as her eyelids creased upwards. He smirked at her courage. She was petite, but she had such fire in her eyes._

 _"Zan," she breathed out as his fingers grazed the revealed cleavage of her breasts. Her pink tongue snaked out and licked his lower lips._ Take me _, her eyes seemed to say._

He sighed, breathing in the ashy smoke. Who was he talking to? Of course she couldn't hear him. He was talking to no one yet he wanted to keep talking. "Now I'm here in Roswell. I'm doin' yer biddin' and yer not here to share this moment wit' meh. I'm gonna be sappy now and we both know it ain't like meh. The moon's bright tonight and I wish ya were here sittin' next to meh. I know you well enough—ya prob wanted to jus' go home for one last time and ya didn't even get a chance to see home. God, I hope wherever ya are, yer okay 'cause I'm not."

Was he feeling guilty he never had the chance to say all that he wanted to say? That he allowed himself to carry on his arrogant self and not expressing his true feelings more? Was he finally breaking down? "I love ya, I hope ya know dat. But when I see her, younga you, I dunno wha' to do, wha' to feel. She looks so much like ya and I know she ain't you, but I can't control myself 'round 'er."

He knew Future-Liz was gone. She was no longer living. In other words, she was dead. She didn't leave behind a body. She left no traces of herself in this world. It was as if she never existed, as if he had made her up. It was a possibility that Future-Liz was a figment of his imagination. There was a great chance that he had been so desperate that he conjured her up. He had been looking for a reason to go on living, to find out why he was placed here, and then she came along as if his prayers had been answered.

He had her several times. He had been inside of her yet it felt like he didn't even remember what it felt like. It was as if it never happened. All he could remember was shaking and smiling in her arms.

**Flashback** : _Her wet walls drowned his organ with her musky scent. She was so beautiful, so perfect. She was absolutely his. He thrust against her, slipping himself back inside of her. A mew escaped from her lips. Her body clenched around his penis as he watched himself disappear inside her body. His hand trailed up from her calf which he had been holding to discover her nub that was hidden away between her folds. His thumb placed pressure against her clit and softly began to rub it. Her cries grew louder as her nails met with his shoulder. She was so close, he was so close. Her body stiffened against his. His arms created a barrier around her face while his hips violently smacked against hers. "Come for me, baby. Come on my fucking cock," he growled into her ear. Then she arched against him, yelling as she went into paradise._

By the time he walked back to the café, he found Rath sleeping on the couch with the girls nowhere in sight. He eyed the empty space next to his friend and sighed. The girls were probably upstairs sleeping together because that was the rule: girls with girls and boys with boys. He sat on the empty side of the pull-out bed and pulled his shoes off noisily, not caring if he woke up his second-in-command. Rath just grumbled and turned on his side, facing away from him. Zan took off his vest, throwing it to the top ledge of the couch. He laid down in his wife beater and leather pants, feeling uncomfortable already since he was used to sleeping in only his boxers. _This sucks_ , he thought. He looked up the stairs, lost in thought. _I wonder what she wears to bed. Does she wear a nightie or a simple t-shirt and PJ pants_ , he wondered. He folded his arms behind his head and tore his eyes away from the stairs.

Rath grumbled once again and turned over to Zan. His leg found its way on top of Zan's and his arm fell over his friend's chest. Unknown to others due to his appearance, Rath was actually a cuddler, but he always slept alone with an extra pillow so no one ever experienced it. Zan made a distasteful face and gave his friend a look of sheer shock. Rath began to pull himself closer towards Zan's body, only unconsciously knowing to seek out warmth. Zan quickly took the pillow behind his head and shoved it in between them, horrified that his friend was trying to cuddle with him. Rath's arms came around the pillow and he sighed dreamily when he felt content of a pressure against his body. Zan muttered a curse. _Yeah, this sucks_ , he thought.

That night, Zan and Rath had slept on the couch downstairs while Lonnie and Ava slept in her bed. Liz had fallen asleep on her lawn chair unintentionally while gazing up at the stars and when the girls saw this, they decided to just take the bed. But before, earlier in the day after the kiss, she had avoided Zan. She didn't want a repeat nor did she want to anger Max any further. She ignored his stares that seemed to burn into her skin. Whenever she caught him, he wouldn't turn away. He'd only gaze at her harder as if to say "I'm looking at you. See me look at you." It unnerved her. It enraged her. It confused her.

* * *

**December 19, 2000, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

By next morning, Liz had woken up to an aching back. She slipped past the sleeping bodies of the girls and heard the clanging of metal coming from downstairs. Lightly stepping down the stairs, she walked past a still-sleeping Rath who was strangling a pillow in his arms and found Zan cooking in the kitchen. Her somewhat good mood was replaced with bitterness. "Good morning," she said, startling him. Zan broke out of his trance of stirring the eggs in the large metal bowl. He nodded towards her and continued to stir, ignoring how good she looked even in her pajamas—she was wearing a white long-sleeve thermal shirt decorated with hearts and pink shorts that barely covered her ass. He got his answer of what she wore to bed. She was so short, so tiny that his arms could go around her waist twice, and her breasts disappeared underneath her clothes. She looked like a child, but he would still choose her over any other woman in the universe.

She sat on a bar stool, watching him. She was half-glaring and half-watching at him by this point for all the memories of his King Kong act came rushing back to her as her brain started to wake up. "Making omelets?" she asked. She was mad, but she wasn't going to ignore him. That wasn't her character.

Zan paused for a moment, shocked to find her willing to speak to him. She didn't fear him like that Maria girl was. Liz was mad at him, he knew that, yet she was still making conversation. She was unlike any other girl he had ever met, besides Future-Liz. "You made 'em for meh," he said softly as if he meant to say it to himself but Liz heard. He remembered their second day together in New York. He had came out of the shower to find Future-Liz making breakfast for the group. It was a sight that still tugged at his heart. He remembered drying her hair, touching her, smelling her… _"Your omelet is burning," he growled into Future-Liz's ear._ It was only just yesterday he had last held her. _God, it was just yesterday_ , he anguishly thought.

"I did?" Liz questioned, scrunching up her forehead in confusion.

 _Crap_ , he thought, _she doesn't know about her future self_. Quickly thinking of an excuse, he said, "I mean, I made them before. Not you, but—"

She nodded and cut him off. "Future-Liz," she said, not realizing she said something she wasn't supposed to.

He almost dropped the bowl and whirled around to face her. She knew. _She knew_ , he thought. Eggs be damned! "How did ya—There's no way ya coulda've known 'bout her. How did ya know 'bout her?" He walked up to her with alarm on his face. The look on his face—he was staring at her as if she was the enemy.

 _Damn_ , she thought. It was still early and apparently her brain was still cloudy from sleep; this was why she slipped up. How was it that she slipped up so easily about Future-Liz with Zan and not Future-Max with Max? Perhaps she was already too full with secrets that it was all spilling over now. Liz wondered if she should tell him. Future-Liz never said anything about not telling Zan that she knew about her. It was only Future-Max who asked her not to reveal him to Max. How much harm could it cause if she told Zan? But what if the end of the world still came because she told him? She pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip in nervousness. She thought, _But I'm pregnant with his child. He's going to know eventually. Future-Max was so adamant on the group not finding out about him, about the end of the world, but Future-Liz never said a word. Oh god, what am I going to do?_

"She came to me… when I was unconscious." There, she did it. She told him. Would she regret it? It was too early to tell.

"Unconscious?" That was all he heard. He wasn't asking her questions about his disappeared love. That one word rang clearly in his head as if someone had blown a fog horn next to his ear. Why was she unconscious? What caused her to be unconscious? He examined her to see if she was hurt anywhere and then he got his answer when she pulled her thermal sleeves up. His hands flew to her wrists, his fingers grazing against the gauze. "What happened?" he asked.

"I tried to take my own life," she admitted.

"Baby, why would ya do dat?" God, he couldn't even comprehend the idea of Liz taking her own life. He pictured her tiny self crying, trying to end it all. What if she had succeeded? What if he had discovered that both Liz Parkers disappeared as if some cruel fate had doomed him so? What if—

She stiffened at the word 'baby,' but brushed it off as another one of his uncouth manners. " _They_ don't know why. I can't tell them, but since you already know about Future-Liz, I guess it's alright if you know," she said, pulling away from him and taking a seat. If she told him about Future-Liz, then it would be okay to tell him about Future-Max. He would eventually know anyway. "Future-Max came to me to change the past so the future could be different, like Future-Liz did with you. I had to get Max to fall out of love with me so I had to... I broke his heart."

"But dat's not a reason to—" Zan started only to be cut off by Liz.

"Wait, let me finish. You don't know the full story," Liz said. "Max is my world. He's the reason I breathe. Breaking his heart, seeing his face when he saw me like… whatever I had done, I couldn't handle it. All my friends were pulling away. Perhaps it was me who was pulling away, I don't know. I felt like everything was closing down around me. I was drowning and I couldn't get out of it. I loved—no… I _love_ him so much. I couldn't… I can't stand the idea of him being with someone else other than me."

Zan was jealous and angry. He was jealous that Max had this beautiful creature that loved him, angry that Max had her first, jealous again that she loved Max and not him, and angry once more that Max would let her go so easily. He wanted her to fall in love with him, Zan. He wanted her all to himself. If it were him, he would have never let her go. He pushed away his thoughts. She wasn't Future-Liz. She was different, he reminded himself.

"I was in so much pain. I wasn't strong enough, so… I tried to take my own life. Slit my wrists and laid in a tub of my own blood." She didn't tell him about Future-Max's past. He didn't need to know that. If anything, it would have given Zan more ammunition to go after Max because in the end, it was Max's future-self that helped propel her towards her suicidal action.

He breathed, "Angel…"

"When I was unconscious, she came to me. She told me that I was strong, that I had many things left to do with my life. She told me you were coming. That's how I knew your name. She was the one that brought me back here. I trusted her in hopes that things will be better this time around." She didn't tell him about the child yet. It was too soon. He and his group had only come yesterday. What was she going to do—just drop the bomb on him that she's pregnant with his child, that he's the father, that the child really belonged to her future self? Even Liz, herself, wasn't done processing this information.

Shocked, Zan said nothing and took her into his arms once again. He was so torn apart. He didn't want to lose her, but at the same time, he couldn't place his feelings for her. Just the thought of Liz trying to kill herself made him shudder with fright.

At this moment, everything else was forgotten. It was only him and her. Yes, eggs be damned.


	21. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Just in case some of you don't understand a lingo or a pop culture reference, there will be explanations at the end of this chapter. There will start to be some other coupling action now as you can tell from this chapter and later future chapters. I'm trying to create full and round characters. Also, the time span is going to be speeding up now. I will start doing weeks rather than day by day. This is to move the story along. Yay, right? P
> 
> There are some lines from "Meet The Dupes" (Season 2, Episode 8). 
> 
> All spelling errors in the dialogue of the Dupes are intentional.

_Out of luck and out of tune.  
Half a day and I'm confused.  
Love may wash away the bruise,  
but I still ain't over you._

_Hey, I'm the blood in your veins.  
I'm a colding rain.  
Love you hard when it rains.  
Time, no it ain't all aside.  
On the truth she lies.  
Love your tear when you cry._

_Damn the day that I forgot.  
Came so close and almost lost.  
It's been one year and fourteen months,  
but I still ain't over you._

_Hey, I'm the blood in your veins.  
I'm a colding rain.  
Love you hard when it rains.  
Time, no it ain't all aside.  
On the truth she lies.  
Love your tear when you cry._

_Back and forth and side to side,  
right ain't wrong if wrong ain't right.  
I will love you day and night  
'cause I still ain't over you._

_Hey, I'm the blood in your veins.  
I'm a colding rain.  
Love you hard when it rains.  
Time, no it ain't all aside.  
On the truth she lies.  
Love your tear when you cry._

_'Cause when the walls come crashing in,  
when flames come coasting in.  
Just remember time again,  
I still ain't over you._

_Oh hey, I'm the blood in your veins.  
I'm a colding rain.  
Love you hard when it rains.  
Time, no it ain't all aside  
'cause on the truth she lies.  
Love your tear when you cry._

**"I Still Aint' Over You," Augustana**.

* * *

**December 21, 2000, Thursday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz didn't understand Zan one bit. On Tuesday, she thought they had reached an understanding, seeing that they were on the same side since they were saving the Roswell group, but boy had she thought wrong. One minute, Zan was warm like he had been on Tuesday when he held her—momentarily anyway... Then the next, he was as cold as dry ice.

**Flashback** : _Zan couldn't even fathom the idea of his ex-lover's younger self attempting suicide._ _He had been so shocked that all he wanted to do was comfort her. He didn't know what else to do but hug her. Suddenly, his feelings took over and his body moved to wrap his arms around her. Her petite frame molded to his larger body, arousing him the slightest the bit. But she wasn't his. He couldn't just openly touch this girl—he didn't have the right. Future-Liz was the love of his life, not this person. But did he love her—this younger self of his lover from the future? His mind raced with contrasting thoughts and his body expressed this turmoil by quickly becoming stiff. He was troubled and felt nothing but the desire to run away as far as possible._

_"Zan?" asked Liz, wondering what was wrong. She could feel his rigid body against hers. It wasn't the soft comforting gesture she had felt in the beginning. It was uncomfortable._

_He pushed her aside and said, "Don't touch me." Then he strolled out of the kitchen like he had a mission._

_Liz stood there completely flabbergasted. It was Zan who touched her, Zan who hugged her, Zan who had initiated this… whatever it was. She hadn't done anything but told him her story. "What the hell?" she said to herself, completely baffled by the situation. She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to get even more furious, but she did. Zan was a man of ups and downs, a man that could not be described to a few adjectives. It infuriated her of how he treated her. He was kind one moment and then rude the next. Asking herself again in less than twenty-four hours,_ Who does that? E _yeing the uncooked ingredients, she sighed, taking up what Zan had left unfinished in the kitchen. "Great, he has a fit, leaves, and I get stuck with the cooking," she said to no one in particular._

 _When she served the omelets to the group who were satisfied with the first real comfortable sleep they had in days, she scowled when Zan came in and took a seat as if nothing had happened. He took one bite and said, "This is fucking disgusting," and left for another smoke. Liz only stood there with a shocked face._ He comes in for what—thirty seconds—complains about my cooking, and leaves again _, she thought to herself,_ this is getting ridiculous!

_The group watched, slightly confused yet at the same time, unconfused. They knew what he was probably feeling. It was hard on them too. Future-Liz may have only been in their lives for less than two weeks, but she made a huge impact on them. They accepted her, an outsider, and took her in as family. In those few days, it seemed like life couldn't get any better. Lonnie and Ava had a new girl among the group. Rath had gotten a new sister. Zan finally opened his heart. Then when she disappeared… the subject of her disappearance was still too raw to talk about. They missed her, shuddered when they thought of how their king had screamed, and mourned the loss of their new family member. But coming to Roswell and seeing her younger version—it was too much to handle. They notice the differences quickly, but Liz, present-Liz that is, was still as kind and fun as Future-Liz. For them, it was different from what Zan was feeling. They were happy to get another chance, a longer chance, to be Liz's friend. But Zan felt confusion, rage, and uneasiness—all three emotions rolled up into one. His emotions were risking their chance to be Liz's friend once again._

_Rath shrugged, choosing to ignore the topic of how Zan was feeling. He knew his friend needed to sort things out for himself. Rath, himself, tried many times to tell him that Liz wasn't Future-Liz, but he never listened. So in the end, he gave up. "I don't know what he's on about. This is good!" he spoke, taking another mouthful._

_"I agree," said Lonnie, taking another bite while pouring tabasco sauce on the uneaten parts at the same time._

_Ava glared at Zan's retreating back and just gave Liz a smile as if to tell her she understood. "Don't worry. That's jus' Zan bein' Zan."_

To Liz, it seemed as if everything she had done was wrong in Zan's eyes. Every time he walked into the same room as her, he left, growling about how she was stalking him. He yelled at her, cursed at her, and even pushed her!

**Flashback** : _Liz had been holding it in for too long. She had to go! She pressed her fingers against her lower abdomen and winced at the feeling of her bladder getting ready to explode. She had been meaning to go, but she was so caught up in Ava telling her stories about their life in New York—how they hatched, learned to speak, and how they discovered they were different from the rest. She was so entranced by their story that she somehow had forgotten she needed to go to the bathroom. Running to the backroom, just as she was about to turn the knob, the door swung open and Zan stepped out._

_"You again!" he said as if she was the most annoying thing in the world._

_She ignored him; the desire to pee was greater than getting into another verbal fight with him. She moved to the left and he moved too. They blocked each other. He shifted to the right and she stepped to the right. "Move!" she yelled at him._

_"Then get out of my way!" he said, shoving her to the side._

_"Ah!" yelped Liz as she was pushed away._

Liz had enough with it! They had only known each other for a little less than two days and Zan was being a downright prick. He had no right to treat her that way!

Seeing her chance, she cornered him in the open café in front of the dupes, not caring anymore. "What is your problem?" she asked.

"What are ya on 'bout?" Zan asked. "Get out of mah way," he said as he stepped to the side.

She blocked him. "No, this stops now! You've been a complete jerk to me ever since you came!"

"I'm da jerk? If ya wasn't so fuckin' ubiquitous, I wouldn't hafta be!"

"Oh, lookie here. The king knows what _ubiquitous_ means!"

"You betta watch yerself," he said, getting in her face. He was letting his anger get the best of him, just like Liz was with herself. "Ya might say somethin' and I might hafta do somethin' 'bout it."

"I am so _scared_ ," said Liz, surprising herself a little with this new found attitude of hers. "For your information, I happen to live here and you're my guest, so I suggest you change this uptight cocky attitude of yours!"

Lonnie and Ava watched curiously, sipping their sodas. This was so reminiscent of when Future-Liz yelled at Zan. Rath grabbed himself a piece of cake. This was like a fight ready to happen and he was supplying himself with snacks.

Angered by the sudden challenge, Zan automatically lifted up his hand. He wasn't going to use his powers on her, but it was a reflex. His hand was in her face before he could stop himself.

"You want to fight? Take your best shot!" Liz yelled, jumping up at him. Her words had no hestitation in them, but in reality, she was actually terrified that Zan would try to blow her face off.

Frustration was what Zan was feeling—a lot of it. He looked upwards, muttered something to himself, and lifted her up. Liz made a yelp as she was suddenly elevated from the ground. He held her at arm's length and carried her to the backroom. Normally she would be amazed at his strength, but this wasn't the time. Liz yelled when her back came into contact with the swinging door and the two continued to the back.

Unable to resist himself, Rath spoke, "What's da chances they gonna make da beast wit' two backs?" To help visualize his words, he thrust his hips with a grunt and held his arms out as if he was holding someone's thighs, taking her doggie-style.

"Yer disgustin'," Ava said, shaking her head. Rath was her brother, but sometimes she didn't know how to put up with him.

"Naw, I doubt it," said Lonnie, scrunching her nose up in disgust from being reminded of her brother's sexcapades. The image of the rocking van suddenly flashed in her mind. She shuddered.

"Aw, come on? Las' time he took 'er, well future her, they humped da shit outta each otha," he said. "We trio know she ain't her, but come on… Ya think Zan knows dat? He's gonna fuck her against them lockers wit' her skirt hiked up."

"Rath, yer an ass. She was like a sis and ya talk 'bout her like ya wanna do her," replied Ava. "I ditto wit' Lonnie. Zan jus' met 'er. He ain't gonna do her."

Rath shrugged. "She mah sis. I wouldn't kick it to 'er, but I ain't gonna lie she's not tight." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and smirked. "Wanna bet they fuck or not?"

* * *

"Let me down!" screamed Liz as she fought her way to get out of his grip, but was only successful in swinging her legs back and forth like an angry child throwing a tantrum.

Zan dropped her on the sofa, infuriated. "Shut up!" He needed to think. Yes, thinking was the best option in this moment.

She quickly got up. "Don't tell be to shut up! One minute, you're fine. The next, you've got a pole up your ass. I can't stand it anymore!"

 _What is she trying to do_ , wondered Zan. He didn't like people pushing him nor did he like being cornered the way she did with him. He was a man of cold steel—emotionless and rational. He was always in control of emotions, in control of himself, but something about this girl pushed all his buttons. With Future-Liz, she challenged him many times, but he knew how to push her buttons back. But Liz, she was so naïve. He didn't know what to expect of her. "It's all yer fault!" he said, trying to keep his voice from screaming level.

Liz stepped back. "My fault? I haven't done anything wrong! What have I done to you? I only just met you three days ago! Tell me what I possibly could have done in those two days to make you hate me so!"

"I'm not him!"

"What? Him who?" she asked.

Zan gritted his teeth. "I ain't him and you're not her."

Liz shook her head. He wasn't making any sense at all. What did he mean he's not him and she's not her? It felt like minutes, but it only took her seconds to finally understand what he meant. "Wait a minute, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"GOD!" yelled Zan as he began to walk away from her only to be stopped by Liz who caught his wrist.

"Talk to me!" yelled Liz.

"I don't wanna talk! Don't ya git it?"

"Damn it, Zan! It's not my fault I happen to look like my future self! Is this what this has been about—because you can't separate me with Future-Liz?"

He didn't say anything because she was right.

Liz shook her head in disbelief. "Do you think it was easy for me? I mean, I not only met with me from the future, but I met Max from the future. He wore the same face too!"

"It ain't dat easy," he said.

"Do you think I didn't have a hard time separating them two as well? Well, tough luck, Zan, because I did and I managed to do it too," said Liz. "But you have to realize that Future-Liz and I are completely different. Yeah, she came back, but I know what's going to happen. Things are changing; _I_ am changing… Changing from what you knew of Future-Liz. You can't keep doing this to me. It's just not my fault!"

He knew she was right. Liz, whether present or future, was always smart and rational. He thought those very same words she spoke, but he didn't want to admit to it. He just needed to hear the words from her. She made everything seem real. He had been so caught up with confusing them together that he could barely focus on their differences. He knew they were different, but at the same time, he didn't know what qualities.

This girl had been through the same ordeal he had gone through. Future-Liz disappeared and so did Future-Max. He loved Future-Liz. She probably loved Future-Max. He didn't know how close she was to the guy, but if she still loved Max and he wore his face, then he knew they must've been more than just friends.

Coming to terms with this, still a little uneasy, he knew he was in the wrong. He had been a jerk to her and she didn't deserve it, not from him. She was hurting, but so was he. "I'm sorry," he spoke.

This apology was too easy for her. "That's it? You say a simple 'I'm sorry' and I'm supposed to pretend it's all okay?"

Zan scowled at her, gritted his teeth, and tried to get over his high horse. "I'm sorry, angel, for b—"

"Liz," she stated.

His right eye twitched. "I'm sorry, _Liz_ , for bein' a prick, okay?"

"And for pushing me."

 _God, what the hell is wrong with her_ , he thought, _I'm already apologizing and she wants to add more? She should know better than apologizing is not in my nature_. "And for pushin' you."

She was satisfied. "Apology accepted."

"Okay," he spoke. He then realized he had man-handled Liz into the backroom. He could picture his family's faces. _They prob thinkin' we's fuckin'_ , he thought.

"We should go back out there. They're probably worried," said Liz.

When they came out, the three dupes were staring at them as if they were looking for something. Lonnie squinted at Zan and Liz. Ava made an "hmm" noise. Rath studied them as if he was going to be quizzed in five minutes.

Knowing exactly what they were thinking, Zan shook his head. "You's a bunch of pervs. We didn't do nothin'," he said.

"Ahah! Pay up!" said Ava who stuck her hand out at Rath.

Rath reached into his pocket with a scowl and withdrew a twenty dollar bill. "I suppose ya want yer payment too, Lon'?" he asked.

Lonnie smiled. "Naw, I'll save yer payment for later," she said with a wink.

Rath could only grin foolishly.

Confused, Liz spoke, "Umm, guys? Huh? What just happened?"

* * *

**December 22, 2000, Friday to January 9, 2001, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Over the next several days, since Zan and Liz had finally worked everything out, the dupes bonded with the Roswell group as if they were always living there. They all had more in common than they thought, besides their fashion sense. But of course, there were always still many differences.

"Maria's my girl," stated Michael.

"I don't see yer name written on her," said Rath.

"Listen here, dick, I'm going to rip your he—"

"Michael, don't make me go over there!" yelled Maria from the other side of the room who was watching them. She knew her boyfriend would cause trouble. "Stick to the questions I gave you!"

Michael was still angry at Rath for hitting on Maria. The first time Michael had ever taken an interest in a girl, much less a human girl, his twin was trying to take her from him. Well, it seemed that way. He stared down at the flimsy napkin that Maria gave to him. She had written down several questions to get them connecting, but he didn't see that happening any time soon. Sensing her glare on him, his eyes scrolled down the questions. He rather asks questions than be beaten by Maria. She had a hell of an arm on her.

"Favorite band?" he asked.

"Metallica," replied Rath.

Michael's right eyebrow rose. He wasn't expecting that. He nodded in approvement. So they had one thing in common. That didn't matter to him. He still hated his twin. So he replied, "Good," and their conversation ended there.

Zan and Max were both being stubborn-headed. They weren't getting along one bit, but that was to be expected given the events that had occurred. But they did have one main thing in common: their love for Liz, but at the moment, this wasn't on their mind.

"I'm king," said Max.

"In yer dreams, stand-in. I'm da king," replied Zan.

Both just watched at each other as if mentally having a battle of penis sizes.

Lonnie and Isabel, well… they both were popular among the men, one namely Alex. They were beautiful and if they wanted to, they could be models.

"How do you get your eye shadow to do that?" asked Isabel, fascinated by Lonnie's makeup.

"Ya jus' gotta smudge it all ovah, but nothin' alien powers can't do," replied Lonnie. "Ya jus' gotta learn how tah tweak it a bit."

The only ones that were completely and utterly different were Ava and Tess. Ava was kind and she made it a point to befriend the Roswell set, but Tess was always glaring at everyone, including her own group. Ava didn't believe in their destined path, but Tess clung to it as if it was a lifeline.

"Max and I belong together," said Tess. "It's destiny."

"Ew?" said a disgusted Ava. "Uhhh, Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr.?"

"Neither," replied Tess. "I like Ben Affleck."

Ava choked on her soda and began to gag. "Gross, he's so fug!"

Gossip travelled among the inhabitants of Roswell, speaking of the punk twins. Everyone was confused, but Isabel, being the queen bee she was, snapped at everyone for sticking their nose in their family business. Mouths were shut. The gossip died down a little, but everyone still wondered who these new people were. All they knew, of course and obviously, was the twins were lost family.

As for Liz, her parents had come back from their vacation, surprised to see their daughter had taken the liberty of getting roommates in their home. At first, they thought it was Max, Isabel, Michael, and Ava who suddenly wanted to be part of the "cool" trend, but after much explanation from their daughter, they realized who they really were. They were shocked because of the chances that four of their Roswell residents had twins. It was even weirder that these four were good friends like their own set. They were a little hesitant about letting these ruffians stay at their home, but upon hearing their homeless situation, the Parkers were more than willing to let them stay as long as they helped out with the chores of the home and even work at the Crashdown. Thus everyone had their own roles in the home. Rath helped Michael out in the kitchen (when they weren't trying to burn each other at the grill) while Lonnie and Ava helped Liz and Maria with the waitressing. Zan would fix anything that had broken down and sometimes clean up the Crashdown during closing time.

When the Evans parents were introduced to the dupes, they were shocked at the resemblance. Again, what were the odds that four orphans would have identical twins? Afraid, Diane thought they were going to take their babies away from them, but Zan just laughed and asked her if he looked capable of handling the four brats himself. She nervously said no and he agreed. Actually, he said, "Look lady. I got mah own crew to support. I ain't takin' those no good for nothin' rugrats under mah wing. Shit, they's prob better wit' you, all fuckin' goody-two-shoed like it's some re-run of the Brady Bunch." It's safe to say that Nancy could only gap at his crudeness. He let her know that they were staying in Roswell for a while, perhaps permanently, but he wasn't going to take them away from her. Honestly, Zan, deep down, was jealous that his double grew up in a home with a family that loved him dearly—something he never had. He had to fend for himself since birth and he never knew a mother's loving touch.

When Jim finally had been introduced to them, like Michael, he didn't trust them. He even did a background search on them and found they had been arrested a few times with many charges against them that never stuck as if the evidence had suddenly disappeared. He knew that was to be expected, seeing that they were aliens who could make all evidence disappear into thin air. Kyle assured his father that they were alright people and they had just been dealt a bad hand since they were born. Still, Jim remained wary of them.

Over the days, Zan and Liz had bonded the most. Because both had been affected so greatly by people from the future, they reached an understanding, a level where they both understood that they have much of the similar feelings and thoughts. Constantly laughing, they were always seen together, just chatting away. Zan, who had bought a motorcycle, was seen driving with Liz on the back throughout Roswell, taking trips out to the desert and back after dinner. They loved the air that breezed through their hair as the machine under them roared. The stars seemed to move with them and the moon seemed so reachable. They were content, feeling nothing but comfortableness as they rode together with her arms around his waist. Many could see they clearly felt something for one another. This didn't settle well with Max who became more and more jealous with each passing second. He knew what Liz had done to him, but to see the love of his life get on the bike of practically a stranger, she felt farther from him that ever before. It was as if she and Zan both shared a secret that brought them closer. Truthfully, they did, but no one else knew what it was.

Tess kept pursuing Max, finding reasons to be at his side. She dangled the fact that Liz was off with another man and constantly told him to move on. She reminded him of his destiny, but he wasn't having any of it. It wasn't that easy for him to just drop everything he's ever felt and move on. Since the third grade, it had always been Liz Parker for him.

On a Tuesday night, after the Crashdown closed, the group lounged in the café, resting and smiling, clearly somewhat more comfortable with one another. "So then he was like, 'Hell no!'" Kyle said, bursting into laughter. The humans followed, bearing their pearly whites at him.

"So cornball," muttered Lonnie, rolling her eyes as she watched the humans tell stories in a booth. Turning the high chair away from them, she found Ava staring at Kyle with her mouth slightly parted open.

"I thought it was funny," Ava said meekly, flipping her pink bangs over her shoulder.

Lonnie snorted. "'Course ya did. You jus' wanna git in his pants."

"What? No, I don't—… He's cute."

"Yeah, in a total Full House's Steve Hale kind of way," Lonnie retorted. "Lyin' don't suit ya. Look, yer cheeks glowin' pink like you gots slapped."

Rath appeared by their side and growled into Lonnie's ear, "Ah, leave 'er alone. We all gots needs—needs dat need to be satisfied." She moaned as his hands slid up her back to her shoulders. His fingers soothed the kinks out of her muscles before grazing the side of her face. "Ya smell good," he whispered, burying his nose into her short blonde hair. Lonnie grabbed the back of his neck and crushed his lips to hers.

Silence. There was silence among everyone. Then there were gasping.

"Oh my god, Rath and Lonnie are making out!" Kyle cried in horror. "It's like—it's like Michael and Isabel! Woo hoo hoo," Kyle chucked in surprise. He quickly took out his cell phone and snapped a picture. "This is going to be my wallpaper!"

Alex and Maria covered their faces. Both simply said, "Oh no. Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"

Liz's eyes widened in shock and then a smile formed on her face. It grew bigger when she heard Maria cry, "Oh my god, that's my boyfriend's fucking face sucking yours, Isabel."

Isabel, in much horror, replied, "Michael, if you ever want to live, don't ever, _ever_ , look at me again."

"Ditto" was his uncomfortable response as he tried to shift as far as away as possible from Isabel.

"Michael, you're not going to leave me for—for Isabel, are you?" asked Maria.

"Of course not! She's like my sister!"

"That's not brotherly-and-sisterly love right there, my friend," said Kyle as Rath's hand started to travel under Lonnie's shirt. Alex offered a comforting pat to Michael's back, slightly disgusted himself at the sight of the love of his life's twin making out with another man, a man who wore his friend's face.

Having enough, Michael screamed, "Would you two quit it?!" at the clueless couple. Rath and Lonnie pulled away with a heated dazed look.

"Wha' man? Yer blockin' mah cock here," Rath said, motioning to his groin.

"Cock blockage! There will be _major_ cock blockage because there will be no cock involved!" yelled Michael.

Awkward silence. Nothing but awkward silence. Alex shook his head in disturbed humor. Breaking the silence, he asked, "You guys are together?"

"Not really," replied Rath.

"Meaning?" Maria asked.

"We fuck. Dat's 'bout it," Lonnie said with a shrug. Michael and Isabel started to gag.

"Because of the whole destiny thing?" Kyle asked.

"Naw man. She's a good fuck. Cries like a bitch in heat," Rath said.

Lonnie began to make hand gestures as she said, "Rath's got a really long—" Maria snorted.

"NO! NO! I don't want to hear it!" cried Isabel who was wishing the ground would swallow her up.

"So Ava," Kyle said, moving up to her. "Are you with Zan?" He hears Zan making an "ugh" sound but ignored it.

Scrunching up her face, she replied, "Hell no. He's like mah bro. He sees me like he sees Rath—a boy bro."

"I see no brother or boy, only a beautiful lady." He then hopefully asked, "Single then?"

"Wouldn't ya like to know," she said with a wink. Kyle broke out in a grin.

Filling soda into a cup, Liz placed it in front of Zan who was watching her. She rubbed her hands against her apron, feeling uncomfortable under his stare. "So you're not with Ava?"

"Naw, I gots my eye on someone else," he smirked. She blushed.

Maria stared at her boyfriend and started to play with his hair. She pressed the sides toward the center, making a semi-faux hawk. Michael was sexy in her eyes, but Rath with his bared arms and his tattoos….

"Hey, stop! 'Ria, what are you doing?"

"Maybe you should get a tattoo," she suggested.

"Why, so I can look like Rath?"

"Hey, you can take some tips from him. He isn't so bad either."

"Then why don't you go sleep with him?" he jealously said, getting up and walking into the backroom.

"'ey Pixie, if he ever messes up, don't be afraid to come to meh," Rath said. "I'd treat ya real good, treat ya like a queen."

Maria didn't know exactly how to feel about that offer. Obviously she wasn't going to take it. "Weren't you just making out with Lonnie a second ago?"

With a smirk and wink, he whispered, "I rather have you," and then left the Crashdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
>  Pop Culture References:   
>  **
> 
> "The Brady Bunch" was a 1969-1974 American sitcom about a family. Though they had problems, they were often seen as the typical perfect American family.
> 
> "Steven 'Steve' Hale" is a character from "Full House" (1987-1995 American sitcom) who was dating D.J. Tanner. — I'm comparing him to Kyle because Steve was on the wrestling team and well... to me, Kyle looks like he could be on a wrestling team. Go jocks?
> 
> "Fug" means F--king Ugly.
> 
> "Block your cock" is a line from the 2007 movie, "Superbad".


	22. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines taken from "Destiny" (Season 1, Episode 21), "Ask Not" (Season 2, Episode 2), and "The Departure" (Season 2, Episode 21).
> 
> All spellings errors in the dialogue of the Dupes are intentional.
> 
> Remember, I will start doing weeks now rather than day by day.

… _Yeah, Mama this surely is a dream.  
Yeah._

_I smell sex and candy here._

" **Sex and Candy," Marcy Playground**.

* * *

**January 18, 2001, Thursday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Yes, that's it—Liz Parker was going to have to go shopping. Not to just any shop, but a maternity shop. Not to forget, she couldn't go to just any mall, but the furthest mall from Roswell. She couldn't risk having people recognize her. What would the town say if they saw her shopping for fat clothes in her frame? Actually, they wouldn't say one word because they may be too flabbergasted to say anything. Their sweet little valedictorian was possibly knocked up, pregnant, with a baby in the bun—pick your choice of words. And the father? Who knew who he was? He was around, closer than just around, but even he had no clue she was carrying his child because they technically never even slept together before.

As she stood in front of her full length mirror with her hands on her abdomen, she could feel her stomach start to swell but it wasn't very noticeable yet. She felt different both physically and mentally. Her body was expanding to accompany her growing child. She could've sworn she could already feel the baby, but even she knew that was impossible. The baby was barely the size of anything, but she could already feel its presence.

She smiled as her hand ran over her stomach. She thought she would be freaked out by this, but she wasn't. She felt such happiness, such pride. Genetically, she did create this child. The idea of a child she sort of created growing inside overwhelmed her. Never had she thought she would be pregnant at such a young age, much less by her ex-boyfriend's twin. She had so many questions: was it a boy or a girl? Would he or she look like Zan or look like her? None of them could be answered, not yet anyways.

 _Click_.

Liz's head snapped towards the sound of her bathroom door opening. She tried to stop the gasp that came from her mouth with her hands, but it was too late. Still covering her mouth, she watched as a naked Zan strolled into her bedroom.

Zan had just finished showering and cursed himself. He forgot to grab a towel with him. He stood in the shower, dripping wet, contemplating. He knew he could dry himself with his powers, but even he was afraid to accidentally alter something on his perfect godly body. Not hearing a sound in Liz's bedroom, he figured he could grab the towel quickly and make it back to the bathroom without anyone even knowing. Boy was he wrong!

As he stepped out, he heard a gasp and came face to face with Liz who looked ready to bolt out of the room. His hands shot down to cover his private area, but that barely even hid his lengthy girthy penis from her view. Liz stood there, frozen. "Shit!" he cried as he quickly dove for the towel that was resting on Liz's desk chair. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline when his tight muscular tanned ass came into her sight. She cupped her hands tighter around her mouth in hopes to not let out a scream or possibly a squeal that would've sounded happier than she meant.

Zan turned around, quickly wrap the towel around his waist, and turned back around. Obviously it was too late to be covering up. "Fuck! Sorry, didn't know ya was in 'ere," he said, gripping onto the towel as his whole body heated up in embarrassment. He could've sworn there was no one in the room. Zan was never much for one to be embarrassed about public nudity—hell, he'd dance naked throughout the streets of Roswell if Rath paid him enough—but with Liz, it was different. She was younger than Future-Liz, more naïve. For all he knew, she had never seen a naked man before. Yep, he was definitely not expecting her to see him naked… Not in this situation anyway.

As the shock finally settled in, her hands dropped from her face and she started to nervously wave around. Her cheeks flushed. "No, no! It's my fault! It's completely my fault! Oh god, I'm sorry!" Her eyes danced around her room, looking at everywhere but him.

Zan knew it wasn't her fault, that it obviously couldn't be her fault (it was his), and he wanted to chuckle at this, but seeing her nervous reaction, he didn't. He didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she was already. He stood up a little straighter, ignoring the now wet carpet under his feet as the water trailed down him. Liz's mouth parted open as her eyes sneakily roamed across his body. Smirking at catching her checking him out, a wave of confidence came back to him. He was back to being the usual cocky Zan. He had a perfect body—he knew this—so why not flaunt it? Why not show her a little preview of Zan? He lowered the towel slightly, just enough to show off the dark trail of hair that led to his lower region.

He felt his own breathing quickened when he heard an almost whispered moan come from Liz. She tried not to look at his body, but she couldn't help it. It was virtually impossible to not look at him. Sure, she had seen shirtless celebrities before, but never one came close to Zan's body. When he came out of the shower with droplets still attached to his chest, running downwards, she couldn't stop herself from watching. His body was superbly defined. She could tell where each muscle began and ended. The tattoos and piercings just seemed like an added bonus. The water trailed from his wet spiky hair, down his neck, slipping past his adam's apple. The droplets seemed to be going through a maze as it slid down his chest, gliding past his dark nipples. Her eyes drifted further down, following the water slide further down, down, and then disappearing past the towel. She blanched a little when she saw the highly noticeable and obvious tenting of the towel. _My god_ , she thought. Her chest rose quickly as an image of his body on top of hers flashed through her mind. She couldn't help but notice…

"Exactly the same," she murmured, not realizing she had spoken out loud.

"What is?" asked Zan with a twinkle in his eye.

Liz quickly caught herself and shook her head. "What? No! I didn't say anything. I didn't say a word. Wh-what?" She cursed at herself as he broke out in laughter. She bit her lower lip, slightly entranced by his infectious laughter. His grin was wide like a stupid grin with puffy cheeks, revealing most of his pearly whites. His eyes crinkled around the sides, showing lines on his face that revealed to her that he hadn't done much laughing in his lifetime. His body shook as his neck tightened with his adam's apple bobbing up and down. If she didn't think he was attractive before, she did now.

Then he settled down, his eyes slightly darker than before. Tightening the knot around his waist, he advanced towards her. "Tell me, Angel. What's goin' on in dat head of yers?" She bumped into her desk as she stumbled backwards, trying to get away from him. As she shook her head, his arms snaked around her waist and pulled him to her like he had done so many times before. He growled as he felt the burning of her palm against his chest—skin to skin. He felt her stiffened, but he would get the truth out of her no matter what. Grazing his lips against the outer soft shell of her ear, he whispered, "Tell me."

"No, Zan, stop," she said, shivering at the heat of his breath against her face. He was too close to her, too close.

"Ya leave me no choice den," he said. His face closed in on hers. His nose lightly rubbed against hers. Liz licked her suddenly dry feeling lips as her eyes fluttered shut. The smell of clean soap overloaded her senses. Was he going to do what she thought he was going to do? Her fingertips pressed against his chest in nervousness as his lips grazed against her upper cheek. His arm tightened around her.

Before she knew it, she was laughing as he unleashed a tickling attack on her. His fingers found their way underneath her shirt and quickly pressed against her sides, pinching her lightly. Liz's mouth opened wide in surprise as she screamed out in laughter.

"ZAN, STOP!" she shrieked, trying to get away from him, but his grip held her to him.

Delighted to see her in such a happy state, he took more pleasure in feeling her skin. He watched as she struggled with a smile. Her face grew red. To see her happy made him happy, so he continued.

As her body continued to erupt in giggles, she lost her balance in her struggle to get away from him. Her feet caught around his and they lost their balance, stumbling on top of her bed where the attack continued. Liz barely even knew they were on her bed, caught up in the moment, but Zan knew. He was pressed down on top of her, his fingers still working its magic on her. She shook against his body, stirring sexual desires in him, but he wasn't going to do anything to her, not like this. The fact that he was practically naked on top of her didn't help much either.

"HAHAH—ZAN, STOP—HAHAHA—I'LL TELL YOU—AHHH—I'LL TELL YOU! STOP!" she cried in laughter.

Then his fingers disappeared and so did her laughter, but the smile remained on her face. "Tell me, baby."

"I—I was… I was just thinking that you had the same body as Future-Max." She felt him roll off of her. He was now staring at the ceiling with an arm behind his head. She couldn't tell what was going through his mind. Did she say something wrong? Maybe she shouldn't have told him. Maybe she—

His face turned to her. "Exactly?"

Her eyes blinked rapidly in confusion. "Uhhh, exactly."

For Liz to say something like that wrecked havoc on his mind. Her words were so innocent. _Does she have any idea what she's really telling me_ , he thought. She was telling him his body was exactly like Future-Max's. He sighed and asked, "Every single detail?" What he was really asking was if their cocks were the same.

Unknowing what he truly meant by his question, she naively replied, "Well, minus the tattoos and the piercings, pretty much yeah. Exactly the same."

His eyebrows rose curiously. "And how's did ya know our bodies were da same? I understand ya saw my bod jus' now, but how ya see F. Max's?"

She bit her lower lip and then told him the truth—that she slept with Future-Max. His eyebrows dropped as she told him her tale. He turned back to the ceiling. "Woah, that's a lot to take in," he said.

Teasing, she said, "I don't know what it is with you look-alike clones, but one thing for sure is I can't stay away. God forbid you have a son that looks exactly like you!"

Her words held such meaning to him. He looked like Max, probably Future-Max too, so did this mean she couldn't stay away from him to? Or did she really see him as a replacement? He knew this topic had been brought up before, but he was always still wary. Wanting to keep the moment light, he chuckled before he turned to her, resting on his side. "Well, that'd be a problem if it were our child," he replied.

Liz felt her lungs burn as she held her breath in shock at what he said. _Oh the irony of it all. If only he knew_ , she thought. His hand then rose to her face, slightly grazing the side with his knuckles. He was taken aback by her soft skin, her beautiful features, and her brown eyes. He knew she was beautiful, but to see her this close… She took his breath away. Seeing how she told him her secret, he confessed, "I slept wit' Future-Liz."

She wondered if she should tell him that she knew. She didn't know how he would react because if she told him she knew, she would then have to tell him about the baby and no one knew about the baby yet. Deciding against it and knowing she might regret it later, she played it off with a surprise look. "Oh…" she said. She felt it was too soon to tell him. She had only just met him and it would be a lot for Zan to take in, that she was pregnant with her future-self's—his previous girlfriend's—baby.

"And I know pho sure dat us royal-alien-clones can't stay away from humans dat look you, baby." Liz personally knew was true. God, for all she knew, she could have been the human reincarnation of one of Max's mistresses back on Antar. Then she pushed all her thoughts out of her head as she felt Zan's hand slip under her shirt and rest against her stomach. Oh god, could he feel the swell? She tried to move, but he kept her still with his other arm.

"I wonder…" he trailed off.

"Wonder what?" she questioned, a little nervous.

"If yer body is exactly da same as Future-Liz's," he smirked.

* * *

Tess waited patiently in Max's room, waiting for him to come home after his jog. Isabel had let her in after she told her that they were trying to recall their past memories. Truthfully, that was just a lie. Max had no idea she was coming over. And for what she had planned, there was no past memory recollection being done tonight.

As far back as she could remember, she was always told that she was the queen and her future husband was the king of some far away planet. She was told that he would love her because he was destined to be with her. They were married in their previous life and it was fate for them to be together once again. It sounded too good to be true, but hearing it as a child, what sounded better than a king destined to be with you? It was every child's fantasy.

Tess Harding was beautiful. She had long curly blonde hair with crystal blue eyes. She had curves that made up for her short height. She could have easily captured any man's attention. She could have chosen any guy that fell for her, but who could stand in the way of a past life romance? When she first arrived in Roswell and saw Max, she had fallen for him. He was more than easy on the eyes and was a gentleman. He was the perfect guy and this included the fact that he was an alien just like her. He was different and he would know how she felt most of her life—scared, alone, and longing for a place to call home.

As the door opened, she quickly checked herself to make sure she looked perfect. Max walked into his bedroom, shocked to find Tess sitting on his bed. Still slightly out of breath from his run, he asked, "Tess! What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to…" she trailed off.

"To?" he said, slightly curious.

Tess had thought up of an elaborate plan, but now that he stood in front of her, she forgot what it was. She took in the sleeveless shirt that clung to his sweaty body. His wet hair glistened and his lips parted in a pant. The hell with it! He knew they belonged together. He knew of their past marriage, of their love. He would love her too in this life. She launched herself onto him, planting her lips firmly against his. When their lips connected, she felt bliss. This was where she was meant to be, this was where she belonged, but then she was ripped away from happiness by Max's arms.

"Tess! What are you doing?" he exclaimed in shock.

This wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. She thought he would feel their connection and respond back to her advances. She hoped he would take her into his arms and who knows… they could've gone further. "Max, I—" she started.

Max had gone on a simple run. He wanted to clear his mind of everything. Lately he had been going through so much that he could barely sleep. His thoughts kept him up at night, making him cranky. He didn't like this side of him, a side where he snapped at his family and friends. It wasn't like him. He figured a jog would tire him out, would allow him to finally get the rest he needed.

The night was clear and cool, typical of the Roswell weather. The moon was bright, the stars were out, and most of the inhabitants of this town were home, but not Max. With a black sleeveless shirt and light shorts, he ran through the paved lanes of the park. He rushed past the trees, past the benches, and past the children's playground. His sneakers pounded against the cement ground as his hair whipped around in the air.

He honestly hoped that the jog would help him relieve all the tension in his body, but as he ran, his body pumped adrenaline throughout his system, only making angrier. As he thought of Liz, as he thought of the people that had been with her, his speed picked up, going faster and harder. He ran and ran till his legs burned with pure pain and were ready to give out on him, till his feet were numb from the pressure he landed on each step. He exhausted his body because he wanted to not think about Liz, about Kyle, about that man, and about Zan. He didn't want to remember how Liz pushed him away, how she rejected him by being with other men, and how she was willing to give up her life when he had risked everything to save her. No, he didn't want to think about any of that. He was ready to run a hole into the ground just so he could not think at all.

But to come home to this, to Tess trying to advance on him, it only gave him a reason to exert his anger. His foul mood was back but now at a worse state than before. If it had been his parents instead, he might have experienced the same anger as he was feeling now, but he knew how Tess kept pressuring him about their destiny. Didn't Tess understand that he wanted nothing to do with their so-called destiny? How could she not realize that he wasn't interested? He had pushed her away so many times, but she just kept coming back for more.

In his eyes, it was her entire fault for everything now. He and Liz had been happy because they were finally happily together, but then Tess showed up. She messed with his mind, making him see things that weren't really there. She sprouted tales about their past life, their love, and he wasn't having any of it. He could've forgiven her for coming into their lives the way she did—with deceit—but she made him cheat on Liz! That he could not forgive.

**Flashback** : _He meant every word he spoke to Liz—he didn't feel anything for Tess, that he only wanted to be with Liz, that Liz was the one for him. But when he saw Tess in the rain waiting for him, he hated himself._

_"You planned this!" he accused._

_Tess took a step back and gave him a look of astonishment. "What are you talking about?"_

_"You planned this—to be out here!"_

_"Max, you sound a little crazy," she said, wiping the water from her eyes._

_"You're doing something to me!" he yelled._

_"Max, my car broke down. I'm waiting for somebody to help me. I didn't plan anything!"_

_He knew better than to believe her words. There was no way she was out there just as the same time he was leaving from Liz's. There was no way! He loved Liz, not her, not this stranger. "I'm with Liz! We belong together! I don't want anyone but her!" But before he knew it, before he could even stop himself, they were kissing in the rain._

Yes, he hated himself. Liz had seen them and he had hurt her terribly—" _You had a flash when you kissed her, Max? Like when you kissed me? I guess I'm not so special after all, huh?_ " God, he wanted to just kill himself. It was always Liz for him, but Tess… she ruined everything! Even the scene where Liz left him at the cave after hearing the message from his mother was still a fresh wound to him.

**Flashback** : _When Max saw Liz turn away from him to leave the cave, his heart nearly shattered. He knew what she must have thought._ " _Liz, look, everything I told you before is still true," he spoke._

_Liz shook her head. The words of his mother still rang in her head—"My son, I have sent with you your young bride." Max was betrothed to someone else! "Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it."_

_When she saw the look on his face, she wanted to take back everything she just said. To see his eyes fill up with tears, to his lower lip quiver, to feel his grip on her arm, she wanted to die. "But you mean everything to me," he whispered._

_She stood on her toes and planted one last kiss on his lips. Her hand caressed his cheek, savoring the moment. How many times had she kissed him goodbye already? When Michael had gotten sick, she kissed him goodbye then too. She cried against his lips when she felt him press back against her. He didn't want to lose her nor did she him, but he had a destiny and she was just a human in the way of everything._

"God, Tess! I thought you understood that I love Liz!"

 _Fucking Liz Parker_ , thought Tess. She hated Liz with pure rage. It was Liz Parker, a small town human girl, who stood in her way of her happiness, in her way of having Max. "What is so great about her? She's mousy and—"

"Don't you ever dare talk about her that way!"

She scowled at him. "See! Look how fast you run to her defense! Why couldn't you ever feel that about me? I'm your wife, Max!" she cried.

Max ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. It didn't help that she was pushing his buttons even further. He wanted her to shut up. He wanted her to leave before he did something he would regret. "You _were_ my wife, Tess. You _were_ my wife in the _past_ life, meaning you're not now, not in _this_ life."

She shook her head in disbelief. They were reincarnated for a reason. They were meant to be. "God, you're pathetic. In love with a human! Don't you see that she has moved on? She slept with Kyle! Don't you see that your twin is getting the action now? I bet she spread her legs the first night they slept at her place. And somehow that stupid bitch still has you wrapped around her—"

Instinctively, he raised his hand to her face, intending to blast her in the face with his powers. She had gone too far. Too far!

"Go ahead. Do it," she taunted.

But Max didn't do anything but breathe heavily. His hand was still in front of her face. His fingers twitched as he clenched his teeth together. "How did I ever fall in love with someone like you? How could I ever marry you?" he asked maliciously.

She glared at him. "You were different—you were a king! Now you're just a _boy_. You lived another life, Max. A life completely different from this one. A life when you loved me."

"I don't remember that."

"Well, I do," she replied.

He shook his head. She didn't understand. She wasn't listening to what he was telling her. "Just go, Tess. Leave my room now before I do something we both regret. This isn't over, Tess."

As she walked out, she responded angrily, "No, it's not."

* * *

As Tess walked home, she wondered what was so special about Liz Parker that had Max Evans and Zan under her spell. No, it wasn't just them. It was everyone in this god damn town. Michael and Isabel accepted Liz so easily, but they keep her at a distance. What was so special about Liz that they couldn't stay away from her? Liz was just a human! And how dare they reject her—their queen! She was above Liz Parker socially, physically, mentally, and genetically. Feeling ticked off that her destined mate brushed her off for a lower specie, she plopped down on her bed in anger. As if sensing her anger, the lamp on her bed stand cracked and shattered neatly on her desk.

Ed Harding, also known as Nasedo, then walked in to see the shattered pieces on the table. Shaking his head, he waved his hand over them and they transformed back into the lamp—perfect and pristine. "What's wrong, Tessa honey?" he asked as he sat down next to her. He may be only her protector, but he raised her as his own the day she came out of her pod. She was practically his daughter and it hurt him to see her in pain.

"Am I ugly?" he heard Tess ask.

"What? Dear god no! You're beautiful."

"Then why doesn't Max want me?"

Sighing, he patted her head, brushing her curls behind her ear. Max Evans—their so-called king. He knew when they had arrived to Roswell that their king was in love… with a human. This was not supposed to happen. Max should've felt a connection with Tess and fallen in love with her. He didn't know how to answer her question, so instead he answered, "Any man would kill to be with you."

Tess scoffed. She knew he was only saying that because he was the closest thing to a father she ever knew of. "I know he's the king of Antar, but I hate him. I hate how he treats me like I'm nothing. I hate him and that stupid human girl. You know what? I hate them all. I hate how they all ignore me! I'm stronger than they are! I know more than they do! They're all good for nothing!"

He smiled as he watched the life come back in Tess. _Atta girl_ , he thought. He had taught her to be strong and not to get attached to people. This was the Tess he raised and knew.

"Wait, why are you back so soon? I thought you were going to be back next week," she asked.

Nasedo had gone on a trip two weeks ago, but he had been in touch with Tess by phone so he knew of the doubles. He never told her where he was going, but he would always let her know when he was coming back. If he didn't come back by the intended day, then she would know something happened to him and it would tell her to get the hell out of Roswell as fast as she could, whether she left with the royal set or not. This was their safety plan.

"Tess, do you truly hate them?"

"Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I? None of them trust me! They still treat me like I'm an outsider, like I'm not good enough to be one of them. How dare they accept the humans over me!"

He wondered if he could trust her, but then he pushed all doubt of his mind. She was raised by him. She thought like him. Of course he could trust her. "Enough to see them dethroned?" he asked.

She scrunched her eyes together, crinkling her forehead in confusion. "Nasedo, what are you talking about?"

"I have been in contact with Khivar," he admitted.

"Khivar!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"He has called on me to help him dethrone the royal three."

 _Oh god_ , thought Tess, _Nasedo is in cahoots with Khivar?_ "But isn't he the enemy? Nasedo, how could you—"

"Tess, darling, it is better to be on the winning side than on the losing side." He had no doubt that Tess would join him. He just had to make her understand. But if… if she did not, he would not shed a tear if he had to kill her because she knew of this plan. He raised her, but after all, he was a coldhearted killer.

"But—"

"No 'buts'. I made this deal with him forty years ago."

"Forty years!" she cried out. "What was the deal? Tell me!"

"To deliver the royal three to Khivar and to return home with Max's child."

She gulped as she heard his response. "Max's child? But there isn't a child!"

"Yet," he said. "That is where you come in, if you should accept this mission."

"And what would happen to them once we delivered them?" she asked.

Her question is answered by Nasedo's silence. She looks at him to see if he was serious and he was. She hated the royal three. She hated the humans. She hated this town. Holding onto this hate, she answered, "I accept."


	23. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Michael/Rath and Maria oriented chapter. I have never written anything Candy so please forgive me. And if you guys think this chapter is a little OOC, I apologize. Maria is just being… Maria.
> 
> There are lines/scenes taken from "Ask Not" (Season 2, Episode 2) and "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5).
> 
> Notice the date! It's February now.

_I'm havin' a daydream.  
Thinkin' of how it might have been  
if we had not gone and lost our way (reads like a tragedy).  
More than a memory - I have lost a part of me.  
I'd only just begun to know (and it's taken such a long time)._

_Your daggers wound me deeply,  
but if you would hurt me less, I'd soothe you more.  
I would give myself so cheaply  
If you could hate me less, I'd love you more._

_Sister, have mercy - come to me, take my hand.  
I am such a long way from home (and I'm cryin' out).  
Love is a mystery as the silent scream of loneliness  
is ever wont to know._

_Does suspicion rule unending?  
If you'd only doubt me less, I'd trust you more.  
There's no use in our pretending,  
but if you would hate me less, I'd love you more._

_Fear is the enemy - hurt and anger take their toll.  
They leave their mark on you (they mark me too).  
Immune to your feelings - consciousness is blockin' the door.  
Did I tell you you are not alone?_

_You're so anxious to condemn me,  
but if you would judge me less, I'd serve you more.  
I don't want you to defend me,  
but if you could hate me less, I'd love you more._

_Do you have to be so angry?_ _  
If you'd only ask for less, I'd give you more.  
Do you really wanna hang me?  
If you would hate me less, I'd love you more._

" **If You Would Hate Me Less, I'd Love You More," Billy Squier**.

* * *

**February 5, 2001, Monday; somewhere a little outside of Roswell, New Mexico.**

"I'm so depressed," whined Alex as he stared out at the pouring rain beating against the car window. The wipers didn't seem to be doing a good job. The road ahead of them was just as blurry as if without wipers. It now occurred to him that perhaps it was a bad idea to go with Maria on one of her so-called journeys. He liked his current state very much, meaning he enjoyed having his body in one piece, but Maria insisted he come along with her. Apparently she had enough with his complaints, but Alex was far from done complaining, so he indulged her, following her blindly like an idiot.

"Isabel gave me another one of those 'Alex, you're such a great friend' speeches. It made me want to puke," he sighed out. _Maybe if I die here, she'll realize how much she loves me_ , he thought, _wait… dying is a bad idea. Maybe just be wounded a little. One broken arm—I can handle that… as long as Isabel is on my other good arm._

Maria rolled her eyes. Alex was her best friend. She loved him like a brother, but there were times when he just needed to shut up. Maria knew she complained a lot—she heard it say many times by her best friends, including Michael—but at the moment, Alex was in a far worse rut than she was and he opened his mouth more than she did. So to rectify this situation so she can once again take back the throne of having a motor-mouth, she drove to the one place where she knew they would both get answers.

"Wimp," she called Alex. "Well, I have Michael Guerin. He's mine. How dare he storm out on Maria DeLuca! So I suggested he make himself look like Rath. There's no harm in that! I'm not saying _be_ Rath—just spike up his hair like he used or maybe get one or two tattoos. That's nothing to get pissed off about. No one—and I mean no one, Alex—storms out on me! You should have seen his face when he apologized to me. His eyes were practically begging me to take his sorry ass back. I have so landed him for once and for all, I think…"

It was Alex's turn to roll his eyes. This was the story of their lives—they were in love with aliens that just didn't know how to be in relationships. He and Maria were more than willing to jump onto the bandwagon of alien love, but the outcome wasn't what they expected. They knew the aliens' most inner dark secret. Shouldn't this have brought them closer? No, instead, it distanced them even further. In conclusion, aliens just didn't know how to be in love.

"Where are you taking me anyway?" he asked.

"To a place where all of our questions will be finally answered. She'll tell us where our future lies with our hybrid freaks. She's a prophet. My mom lives her whole life based on her advice."

"And this is a recommendation?" Alex asked. "No offense Maria, but your mom's life isn't so grea—," he trailed off when Maria glared at him hard enough to shrivel his balls up.

Once they were inside the fortune teller's place, safe and sound from the rain, they took in their surroundings. The paint from the walls was chipping and water-stained. The lights were dim with lamps at every corner possible. There were red curtains and rugs all over the place, which left an odd smell in the air of feet and incense. In front of them was a doorway covered by red beads. This place looked more like a run-down whorehouse than where one could find out about his or her future. "Maria, are you sure—"

Then a chunky lady slipped passed the beads. Her necklace and bracelet clattered against her skin with her movements. "Welcome to my humble abode! I'm Madame Vivian and you must be Maria and Alex," she said, giving them a kind smile.

"She knows our names, Alex!" squealed an excited Maria. "See, I told you she's psychic!" she said, smacking him in the arm and jumping a little in excitement. As excited as she was, Alex just hoped to get out of this place as soon as he could. He felt uneasy being here.

Instantly, Madame Vivian's gentle smile was gone and was replaced with a deadpanned look. "Twenty-dollars each," she said, thrusting her empty hand forward to them. As they reluctantly handed forty dollars over to her (with Alex trying to haggle down the price for about ten minutes), the fortune teller stuffed the bills in between her breasts. "Alex, my boy, come with me," she said.

"Good luck, Alex!" cried Maria as she watched her best friend disappear into the other room.

Once they were in a separate room and seated, he gave her an uncomfortable smile while he pulled at his collar, feeling warmer than usual. She stared into a crystal ball—there were swirls, fogs, and then an image. Yes, there was a reading. "You like this woman."

Seeing this was his first time to a reader, he wondered how this scam worked. Did most fortune tellers start off quickly with love? Obviously everyone has love problems, so it was smart of this lady to start off with " _You like this woman._ " He nodded. "Yeah, her name is Is—"

"Oh, two women!" she interrupted.

If it was warm just a minute ago, Alex was now in a sauna. Oh god, he knew she was talking about Isabel and Lonnie. _Okay, how did she know about them_ , he wondered, _I don't exactly look like a guy who can get two ladies. Oh man, she's good!_ Pulling at his collar once again, he squeaked, "T-two?" He had only just met Lonnie. He couldn't have fallen for her already! She was very different from Isabel. She was more crude, but she was so open. She would voice out her feelings and opinions without a care. If there was one thing he would change about Isabel (even though he thought she was perfect the way she was), it would be to have Lonnie's forwardness. But the fact that Lonnie looked like Isabel might have fueled the small feelings for her.

"You will be a wonderful friend to both of them, but only a foundation to one. You will never—"

"Oh please don't tell me there's not a single moment of pure lust."

"If you let me finish!" she snapped at him. She hated when people interrupted her reading. She never would tell them what they wanted to hear exactly. It would ruin the whole point of letting her clients live out their lives if they follow her advice blindly. They had to figure things out for themselves. She was just a little birdie guiding them along the way. "As I was saying, you will never be conflicted in your decision. Now I'm done," she said, waving Alex to leave the room.

"Wait, that's it? Could you have been any more cryptic? Tell me something good! There's gotta be something in those leaves, something along the lines of being ravished by either or both of the two beautiful wom—"

"Leave! Send in the one called Maria."

"Ugh, story of my life," said Alex as he huffed in disappointment and ushered in Maria. She came bouncing in, too excited for one chair to contain her. Madame Vivian watched this bubbly girl and felt the desire to bring her down a notch. Not that she would do it to be mean, but because she already knew she would give her bad news. Shuffling and laying the cards out, she made an "hmm" noise.

"This boy is very volatile," she spoke.

Maria grinned. "That's good for sex, right?"

 _Ugh, sex—is this all teenagers care about_ , wondered Madame Vivian, _that Alex boy and now this girl_. "This relationship will not endure."

The smile from Maria's face disappeared. "What? Look lady, I am not necessarily looking to tie the knot myself, but do I at least have a few months?"

Calculating from what the cards told her, she replied, "Forty-eight hours, tops."

"Forty-eight hours?" said an appalled Maria. "Okay, are they a good forty-eight hours?"

"You will have to make a decision."

"What decision?"

"Goodnight," said Madame Vivian as she upped and left the room.

"Wait, I'm paying you twenty-dollars for a reading! Get back here!" cried Maria. Alex had to drag her away from the table and back into the car before Maria decided to punch Madame Vivian. Needless to say, they drove back to Roswell unsatisfied.

* * *

**February 6, 2001, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

The next day, Maria had waltzed into the Crashdown with a mission. She was determined to save this so-called relationship. She loved him and she worked too hard to get them where they were today. She wasn't ready to give him up and hopefully he felt the same way. Greeted by Michael in the kitchen, she said in a serious tone, "We need to talk."

Once Michael heard those words leave his girlfriend's lips, he knew it was serious and that somehow he was in trouble. Scratch that, anything that came from Maria's mouth was trouble. "Talk?" he questioned.

"Yes, about our relationship."

"You gotta be joking me," he said. Did they not just make up recently? What had he done wrong already? "What about it, Maria? As far as I know, we're fine. If this is about my dirty socks in the fridge, I—"

"Some stupid psychic told me that the next forty-eight hours are critical, so could you just try not to be a bonehead? Is that, like, a possibility?"

"Maria, are you seriously going to believe some _stupid_ psychic?" he said, throwing her words back to her face.

As if fate had intended to follow Madame Vivian's reading, Courtney, the new waitress, strolled in. She had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair with blue eyes. She was taller and skinner than Maria, but she was easier on the eyes. She had recently transferred to Roswell High from god knows where. "Hey Mickey G. You got my order yet?" she said, batting her dusty lashes at him. She watched him motion to the plate next to him. "Takeoff Tacos, Plutonium Platter, and the Greek God salad, light on the feta," she said, surprised that he had gotten the order one hundred percent correct. "You're such a good boy," she said, slapping her hand against his butt cheek and then left.

Maria's mouth dropped open in horror and stared at him. "Michael!"

"What, Maria? She put in that order before I got busy!"

"Give it up, spaceboy! What's going on with her?"

"That's exactly what I want to know."

Maria's eyes squinted at him. "Michael!" Was Michael saying he was interested in Courtney? _God, what kind of name is Courtney anyway_ , thought Maria.

"No, I mean, I don't trust her. There's something going on with her. She's a new face in town who just so happened to arrive this summer after the signal went out. She's constantly hanging around me, always giving me these looks."

Maria tried not to smile. Leave it to Michael to be the paranoid one. "So, do you think she's an alien?"

"Or with the government. I don't know."

"Well, I'll tell you what I know, _Mikey G_. The slut wants in your pants."

Michael pondered for a moment. He could use that to his advantage. "That might work," he breathed out. "Oh nice!"

"What might work, Michael?" she asked. "WHAT MIGHT WORK, MICHAEL?!" Maria then launched a full-fledged slap attack on him.

* * *

After the Crashdown closed, Courtney asked Michael for a ride home. It seemed convenient that her car chose to die when Maria went home early. When they reached her place, she jumped off the motorcycle gracefully. "Thanks for the ride, Mikey. You handle your machine really good." Michael, who was unaffected by her charm, tried to play it off as he was interested in her. "Well, I guess it's time for another night curled up in my sheets, fondling my remote control," she breathed out.

"I'd better go home," he said, pointing in the direction of his home.

"Unless, of course, you want to be my remote control for the night?" she asked seductively, planting a kiss on his lips.

When she pulled back, Michael said, "What the hell," and dropped his helmet on the backseat. He didn't like her one bit. Sure, she was easy on the eyes, but he didn't want her. As they went in, he took in the surroundings. It seemed like a typical home for a girl. Settling down on her couch which seemed like a safe spot, he asked, "So how long have you lived in Roswell?"

"A few months."

"What brought you here?"

"I've always been into the whole alien thing," she said. Michael tensed. "I have to admit the sightseeing has exceeded my expectations though. So what now, Mikey?"

"Shower."

"Ooo, let's," she giggled out as she started to pull him towards the direction of the shower, but he stopped her.

"Just you. I'm a germaphobe. A clean girl is a sexy girl," he said. God, how he wanted to kick himself. _A clean girl is a sexy girl?_ Who was he and where the hell was Michael Guerin? He may have emotional and commitment problems, but he was damn smoother than this! He didn't want to sleep with Courtney; he was with Maria, but he had to find out more about this girl, so if it meant letting this girl believe they were going to have sex, then so be it. And she seemed to have bought it.

"Okay, water-sports. I like it. I'll play any game you want me to, Mikey G," she winked at him.

He hated when she called him that. But then again, he hated when Maria called him spaceboy but he had to admit it was growing on him. Mikey G made him sound like… like a pimp with a really horrible purple leopard-print outfit. As she walked into the bathroom, he began to snoop around her home. Opening several cabinets, he found that they were filled with bottles and bottles of skin lotion. "Does this girl have a rash I don't know about?" he whispered disgustingly to himself.

Suddenly he heard a noise from the window. His body tensed. Alien was the first thing that came to his mind. He thrust his hand forever as he proceeded to open the door. Peeking outside, he jumped back as Maria's head popped out from the corner. "God damn it, Maria! What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, letting her in.

She replied, "Investigating Courtney. What are you doing here?" Her eyes squinted at him. _The psychic was right! Michael is going to cheat on me_ , she thought.

"It's not what it looks like. I'm investigating Courtney. Get out of here!"

"No, no, no," she said, stopping Michael from pushing her out the door. "I found a picture of you, Max, and Isabel in her locker, and your face was circled." She showed him the picture.

"No way!"

Then Courtney's voice rang out from the bathroom. "Maybe you should put on some tunes, baby!"

"Bastard!" hissed Maria.

"No, Maria, I had to get her out of the room somehow!" There was nothing that he feared, except Maria's wrath. Bring on an army of aliens; it was Maria that he feared most. "Uhh, good idea… _baby_?" he said uncomfortably.

Maria gagged. "Oh god, I think I'm going to throw up. If you lay one hand on her, Michael, I will—"

"I've got the situation under control. No one is laying anything on anyone. So get out of here. Seriously!"

Courtney's voice rang out again. "Oh by the way, Mikey, you are an amazing kisser," she moaned.

Maria's eyes grew large when she noticed the flash of guilt that appeared on his face. He kissed Courtney! She slapped Michael across the head. She wanted to do more like kick him in the groin, but stopped when she felt her eyes grow warm. Her lower lip trembled as she refused to cry. She had promised herself long ago that no man would make her cry. She was Maria DeLuca and she was strong; no man can ever bring her down. But she did want to cry. When she felt the tears come, she growled, "You obviously came here for two reasons, huh? And remember how I said we had forty-eight hours? That was... that was way too optimistic. We're done." She ran out of there so he wouldn't see her tears, leaving just in time as Courtney came out of the shower.

"Mikey? Is there someone out there?" said a towel-wrapped Courtney, emerging from the bathroom.

As he stared at the door, he blankly replied, "No one."

* * *

Maria, overridden by grief, found herself sitting in the backroom of the Crashdown. She didn't want to go home to have her mother find her like this. Knowing her mom, she would march over to Courtney's place, rip out the blonde bitch's hair, and cut off Michael's reproductive organs. She didn't even know why she came to the Crashdown. Liz was occupied with Zan, and Alex was torn between Lonnie and Isabel. She felt as if she had no one and nowhere to go, but somehow she ended up here.

"DeLuca, get yourself together. He's not worth crying over!" she told herself which only made her cry harder. She loved Michael, she did. She didn't know why out of all the men in Roswell she chose him. He was a mess. He wasn't as loving as Max or as kind of Alex, or as funny as Kyle, but god damn, she loved him. He didn't clean up after himself, he was a jerk, and was intent on pissing everyone off. So what did she see in him?

Rath heard scuffling come from downstairs. Armed with a glowing hand, he came down the stairs and noticed the Maria girl crying on the sofa. He withdrew his powers. "'ey Pixie. Why you's leakin'?"

She sniffed into the tissue. "Can you just wait outside for a second?"

"No, you's sittin' on mah bed. Ya know, da couch?" Then he regretted saying that because Maria only cried harder. "What's got ya achin'? Tell big bad wolfie Rath what's up."

"Could you just get out of here?" she hissed at him.

"Nope, can't do, darlin'. It wouldn't be—what's the word—gentleman of meh tah leave a cryin' girl by herself," he said, plopping down on the sofa next to her. "So what happ?"

She sniffed, clutching the tissue in her hand. "I found this picture in Courtney's locker, like some sort of surveillance photo or something. I was worried about him so I went all the way across town to save his ass, and I get there, he's just fine. Actually, he's terrific! He's already there, and so is Courtney… in a towel," she cried out.

"Pixie…" Rath didn't know a single thing about comforting girls, much less crying girls. Lonnie and Ava never cried. Hell, he never saw them get depressed. The only emotions he ever saw from them was being heartless bitches who were stuck in PMS mode twenty-four-seven. He had to tread on this ground carefully. He cheated all the time, but this was the first time, he really saw a girl affected by it. To him, it was normal for him to just sleep around. Hell, to Zan, Ava, and Lonnie too!

"What gets me is that Madame Vivian, the stupid psychic bitch, was right. Granted, Michael is the world's worst boyfriend. I know that. American knows that. But when I caught them together, that look of guilt on his face, I've never felt so awful."

"Pixie, he's a jerk. If I were him, I'd nev'a do dat… I mean, if I had a conventional relation-thing going on," he said.

As her cries calmed down, she stared at him with watery eyes. "Would you really treat me like a queen?" she asked, using the words he had spoken to her two months earlier. Sometimes Rath said the words she longed to hear from Michael himself, but she also knew that Rath would never treat her as good as the way as Michael did… Well, when he treated her nicely. They were complete opposites despite being twins.

But would Rath really treat her like a queen? Even he wasn't sure himself, but he chose to nod his head. What did he know about treating girls? Lonnie seemed happy enough, so were the other chicks. Then he took the opportunity to kiss her. He had always seen this in the movies, where the distressed vulnerable girl was crying on some guy's shoulder only to have him kiss her. That often led to sex, something Rath was willing to do. She tasted a little of pixie sticks—sugary and sour. As he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, she pulled away from him.

When she felt his lips on hers, she already felt uncomfortable. It was cold and stirred no feelings within her. He tasted of peppermint and a hint of cigarettes, but he did nothing for her. Maria knew she couldn't do this. Michael had only just cheated on her and this man here… he was dangerous. She knew his type—the player who never really settles down. She heard all about his type from her mother. Refusing to make a similar mistake of her mother's, she knew she loved Michael and only Michael. Even though he was a cheating asshole, this man could never ever replace him. Grimacing, she coarsely said, "I can't. I'm sorry, Rath, I can't."

"S'okay," he said with a frown. _No sex for Rathie tonight_ , he thought.

Maria leaned her head against the arm rest. She felt so tired from crying, from Michael, from everything. She just… She needed sleep just so she could get away from everything for a little while.

Rath watched her eyes close and heard her breathing evened out. She was on his bed and he needed a place to sleep. Rath never "just slept," especially not with a girl in his bed besides Lonnie, but sensing that Maria needed this, he sighed. Placing his arm over her shoulder, he pulled the blanket over them. He held her; he comforted her. Together they slept uncomfortably on the sofa.

* * *

"Where the hell is she?" growled a furious Michael who had unsuccessfully been able to locate his girlfriend. Well, now his ex-girlfriend. He had gone by Maria's home where he was cussed out by her mother. He swore Maria was just as nuts as Amy. At least he knew where she got it from. She wasn't at Alex's or Kyle's so that meant she was at Liz's. Using his alien powers, he unlocked the front door of the Crashdown and let himself in. The light was still on inside. Walking into the backroom, he felt as if something had hit him in the gut. There slept Rath and Maria. Rath's arm had dropped down to Maria's waist. _Shit, they're cuddling_ , thought Michael.

Unable to keep his powers in check, a jar of pickles across the room exploded. Rath snapped his eyes open at the sound and quickly stood to his feet. Maria, awoken by the sound and the sudden loss of a body warmth, found herself staring into the eyes of one pissed-off Michael Guerin.

"Michael?" squeaked Maria whose eyes were still slightly blood-shot from crying.

"You break up with me and go sleep with my dupe?" he screamed.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell are you accusing me of? For your information," she said, standing up and jabbing her finger into his chest, "We didn't _sleep_ together. We just slept. You know, now that I think about it, I don't see how this is any of your business!"

"You're my business, 'Ria!"

"Not anymore I'm not."

Rath decided to step in. "'ey man, da lady don't want ya, so fuck off."

"You fuck off!" screamed Michael as he punched his double in the face. Rath stumbled back a bit and as soon as his focus had come back, he threw a punch in Michael's direction. They both struggled with each other, trying to hit the other guy in any unprotected place they could find, but oddly, probably since because they were practically twins, they kept hitting each other in the same areas as the other guy wanted to. Their fists and arms kept clashing, resulting in unintentional blocks.

Maria, frustrated by the high levels of testosterone in the room, shoved herself in between the two, breaking them apart. They looked more pathetic than manly at the moment. They seemed unable to successfully hit one another. "Stop it! God damn it, why can't you two boneheads just get a clue? ARGH!" she screamed. Pointing at Michael, she said, "You! You cheated on me!" Then turning to Rath, she said, "And you! I'm grateful you comforted me and all, but don't think I didn't know your hand cupped my breasts when you thought I fell asleep!"

Rath only smirked. "'ey, no nookie for Rath makes, well, a horny Rath."

She rolled her eyes and wondered why she even told him about Michael. "Rath, you're an idiot." Quickly, her illusion of Rath shattered.

"So you's gonna go for meh?" asked Rath.

"I'm still in the fucking room, asshole!" Michael screamed as he tried to throw another beat-down on his twin only to be stopped by the strangely strong blonde.

"Sorry, Rath, I don't think it's going to happen. You see how one Michael Guerin drives me nuts. Just imagine two! I'd be sure to dig myself a grave."

"Aight, yer loss, pixie. See you's lata," he said. Rath, hurt that he was chosen over his cornball dupe, knew she was never going to go for him. He didn't think he ever even had a chance but it was worth a try. Like Ava had told him earlier, he just wanted a lay of the goods of a Roswell chick. He left, leaving Pixie and cornball Guerin alone together.

"Maria…"

"Don't 'Maria' me, spaceboy! You cheated on me!"

"I didn't cheat on you. Well, technically yes, but _she_ kissed me. I didn't kiss her back."

"Oh, and that makes it alright? What if I had sex with Rath? Wait, no, _he_ had sex with me and I didn't do anything back to him."

"That's not the same, 'Ria!"

"The hell it's not!"

Michael clenched his fists. Maria was being difficult… again. "I love you, Maria!" he admitted.

She faltered for a second, but held her ground. Michael rarely ever said any words of love towards her so this time when he said them, it shocked her. But she knew that it was going to take more than just three words to fix everything. "Well, I thought I did you too. I don't know anymore. This isn't working out, Michael. All we ever do is fight!"

"So then what? We break up?"

"Yes… for now. Until I can get my head together."

He was upset at her decision. He didn't want to lose her. He knew he could be an ass at times, but that was just who he was and he knew Maria knew that when they got together. But it's just like that saying: you never know what you've got till it's gone. He did love Maria, despite being difficult sometimes. He loved her with all his heart and that always scared him. He was so used to being closed off, being alone, that these feelings worried him. He was an alien and would always be in danger. How can he give the life Maria wanted? "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she said.

"You know, I'll be here for you. I won't stop loving you, Maria. Whenever you decide to come back, I'll be here." These words were so new to him. Who knew Michael Guerin had it in him to speak such words?

"Good, you better. And if I see you with Courtney, I'll—"

"Don't worry, Maria. It's not going to happen. I want you, not her." He would do his best to make it up to her, to win her back. As much as he hated to admit it, she kept him sane. She was the reason that he would consider staying on Earth rather than going home (if he should ever go home).

She wanted to take him back, despite what she said just now. Michael was opening up, showing her a new side, a side she had never seen before. But she had to be strong. She needed to be single for a while just to figure things out. "It better not," she said before leaving him alone in the Crashdown.

* * *

Sitting on the counter of the sink was a half-used bottle of lotion. It wasn't enough. Lotion didn't do the trick. Scratching at her neck, Courtney felt a piece of skin lift up from her nails. She groaned in disgust at the dead skin and began to pull at it. Slowly the small flap of skin had torn from her neck up to her face. She touched the new skin forming underneath. "I guess it'll have to do," she muttered. Dropping the dead husk into the sink, she slipped into the tub that was filled with oatmeal and began to have a milk bath. She sighed in comfort as if she was a cat being stroked, feeling her husk absorb all the nutrients.


	24. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an Alex and Isabel/Lonnie oriented chapter—please note the ironic lines of Lonnie and Isabel.
> 
> Don't worry; the next chapter will be Max/Zan and Liz again—I promise!
> 
> There are lines taken from "Meet The Dupes" (Season 2, Episode 8).

_I've been watching you and all you do  
for quite some time.  
Knowing all the ins and outs of you,  
I should've known what was on your mind.  
But all the world is spinning round and round  
inside my head tonight.  
I will fall into the darkness  
and I fear I will never see the light._

_So let me in.  
All that I wanted from you  
was something you'd never do.  
So let me in.  
Oh please tonight.  
Don't let this end.  
Tonight,  
I'll fall._

_Through no light, the darkness seems to be  
so very strong.  
How does one alone against the world  
find the strength to carry on?  
What happened to the way we used to love?  
It seemed as though life had just begun,  
but now that love has come and gone to fade away  
like the setting sun  
cuz' you won't let me in._

_All that I wanted from you  
was something you'd never do.  
So let me in.  
Oh please tonight.  
Don't let this end.  
Tonight,  
cuz' I'm starting to fall.  
So let me in._

_It was all that I wanted from you.  
It was something you never knew.  
To let me in,  
but not tonight  
for this is the end.  
Tonight,  
I fall._

" **Let Me In," Save Ferris**.

* * *

**February 14, 2001, Wednesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Lonnie scrunched up her nose in disgust as she looked around her twin's room. It was way too girly for her taste and she had thought Liz's place was bad—boy was she wrong. As soon as she stepped into the small room, she felt like she was thrown into some Disney teen movie. There were a few posters of boy bands she had never heard of on the walls along with pictures of friends that looked similar to Isabel, flowery pink bed sheets, and high-priced brand name shoes all over the floor. The only thing she thought was missing to complete this valley girl room was frilly things like lace and ruffles.

She shuddered as to how much makeup items was piled on the dresser. Did her twin really cake that much on her face, she wondered. All she needed herself was coal eyeliner, but did Isabel really need cover-up, foundation, eye shadow, and everything else? They were aliens—they were beautiful, flawless, and well, above humans. They didn't need anything to coat their faces. Or were they there so Isabel could fit in with the humans? Lonnie could picture the endless sleepovers with other popular chicks who argued over who was the cutest guy in their school. Again, she shuddered.

"So what do you think of my room?" asked Isabel, hoping her room was suitable to Lonnie. She tried to clean it up as well as she could. Normally she didn't care if someone didn't accept her (but why would they? She was Isabel Evans after all), but seeing how Lonnie was basically her twin sister, she felt the need to have this connection. Isabel was very much like Michael, but she was just more rational than he was. Like him, she also longed for home, longed to know her purpose here, longed for a reason to go on living in this place that felt unfamiliar to her. Every day, she put on this charade to fit in. She was so nervous to be different, to be shut out like her brother or like Michael. She wanted to be with the in-crowd so no one would know her secret, so no one would judge her. Instead she would have the power to judge—a position safe from any harm to herself. But finally, Lonnie was someone who could possibly understand her. They were technically the same person, weren't they? Maybe she could even learn how to be so confident, how to be unafraid in being different from Lonnie.

She invited Lonnie to stay over at her place so they could get to know each other better. They obviously didn't get off to a good start, but Isabel wanted to change that. Sure, she had Max and Michael, but there were just some things that remain between girls and Lonnie could provide this. Lonnie would be the sister she never had, and not to forget that Lonnie was also an alien like her. Maybe they find out they had a common ground on something. Heck, they might do some good bonding over ice cream.

"It sucks itchy monkey balls," Lonnie lazily replied as she plopped down onto the disgustingly bright bed. This bedroom was unlike her own back home. She'd rather have her dirty subway tunnel room rather than be here. Sure, it was cleaner, but everything felt so perfect that she felt almost guilty for being in the room. She was that dirty hairball under the broom bristles, but of course she wasn't going to show this side so she lounged in this room like it was hers. Grabbing the book on the nightstand, she flipped the pages only to realize it was the West Roswell High yearbook. Scanning the pages, she soon got bored with each cornball face plastered on the pages and turned to the page with the post-it flag on it.

"That's private!" Isabel said, reaching for the book.

"Off, cornball," shouted Lonnie as she shoved her off and continued looking at the book. "It's a yearbook, nothin' private 'bout dat." She scanned the page, wondering why her twin had marked this page. Then a familiar face stood out as bright as day. "Ahhh, I see," she snickered as she gave Isabel a wink.

"It's nothing," said Isabel who stood up to her dresser and began to brush her hair in frustration.

"Sure it ain't," sarcastically replied Lonnie. "So ya got a thing for da nerds?"

"I don't have a _thing_ for him," she said, emphasizing on 'thing' with a roll of her eyes. Stopping mid-way of brushing and then continuing, she replied, "He's not a nerd. He's just… different."

"Like Happy Days' Richie-nerdy different?"

"NO!" Isabel said, shaking her head. "Just different, that's all."

"Ehhh," shrugged Lonnie. "He ain't mah type, but he's a good lay. Slow and makes sure ya cum first."

Isabel whipped around with the brush in her hand as if she was about to attack a rapist. "WHAT?!" she screamed. What the hell was Lonnie talking about? There's no way she—were they even talking about the same person?! "You have no idea what you're talking about!" she yelled.

"'Course I do. Alexander Charles Whitman: awkward, lanky, computer-science, cornball, dork-boy. Got muscles hidden all ova his body underneath his clothes and little freckles all ova his ass." Lonnie almost began to regret what she said due to the death glare she was receiving from her twin, but truly, on the inside, she was having a blast. She couldn't contain the smile on her lips nor could she stop her laughter. There her twin stood, trying to play it off as if she hadn't felt anything for the Whitman boy, and now she was ready to beat her just for talking about him with interest.

"I don't know how you know that about him. I mean, I don't know if he even has muscles like that or—or—or freckles all over his as—his butt! Are you playing with me right now? Are you seriously trying to make me think you saw him naked or—or—slept with him?!" screamed Isabel in alarm.

Lonnie held up her hands in surrender. "Nah, girl, chill out. Like I'd let dat boy anywhere near meh in real life." As Isabel sighed in relief, Lonnie continued, "I just dreamwalked-fucked him."

"YOU WHAT?!"

**Flashback** : _"Ladies, uh… frosty beverage?" asked Alex, holding up the drinks. Lonnie chuckled, knowing exactly what his intentions were. She knew instantly he had a thing for her twin, but seeing how she was a twin, he probably had the hots for her too._

_Leaning forward, she gave him a view of her breasts. "No three-ways tonight, opie. Maybe later," she said with a wink. She noticed her double blushing as the lanky boy stuttered and looked away as if she was too bright to look at. Smiling, she saw the obvious attraction between the two yet they stayed apart from each other like they both were inflicted with the plague. At the mention of the threesome, she saw how flustered he became at the idea. Perhaps cornballs weren't so innocent after all._

**Flashback** : _As Lonnie got settled into Liz's bed, which was quite decent for a cornball's, she noticed a picture of Liz, Maria, and Alex smiling by a pool. She smirked when she reminded at how nervous he became around her. Grabbing it in her hands, she laid down and turned onto her side to prevent Liz, who was currently on the balcony, from seeing her. As her finger lightly traced over the blonde, her eyes fell shut and then she was in. As she stumbled around in Maria's dream world, she noticed she was in some room with beads and incense all over the place. The room oddly smelled of something like wood. Then she noticed two bodies moving and realized it was Maria and Michael. She watched as he grabbed Maria and flipped her over onto her chest, pinning her down. Michael growled, "You can't have Rath because I'm the better alien. He can never satisfy you like I do. Just like you wanted, I got myself a tattoo." Maria groaned a "Yes Michael" as she felt Michael's lip brush against the back of her neck. A little weirded out by seeing her lover's twin fuck someone else (though she could now confirm that Michael's body was exactly like Rath's), Lonnie tried not to gag and let herself out of Maria's dream._

_Back in Liz's room, she tapped Alex's picture and felt herself get sucked in once again. As she got her bearings, she felt something brush against her shoulders. Her hands quickly flew to whatever was touching her shoulder and then she realized it was hair—her own hair. "What the hell?" she said. When did she have long hair? What happened to her short hair? Then Alex walked up to her._

" _Isabel, I knew you'd come," he said, taking her hand in his. Lonnie took a look at herself. She was Isabel. No, correction: Alex was seeing her as Isabel. She rolled her eyes and went along._

" _Of course Alexander, I jus' can't stay away from someone as strong as yer are," she said, trying to talk as cornball as ever. He cocked his head to the side._

" _Alexander," he said, testing the name. "You never used to call me that. I like it," he said._

" _Yeah, well first time for everythin'," she said. As some corny music started to play in the background, he led her in a dance, which Lonnie found irritating._

" _You look beautiful, Isabel. I love you in red," he said, smiling down on her._

_Lonnie refrained from grimacing and said, "Alex, is dat all ya want to do wit' meh—dance?" His eyes grew large and he shook his head, hesitating on the idea whether he should kiss her or not. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the back of his neck and pressed her lips to his. Then magically or due to Alex's conjuring up or perhaps it was Lonnie, a bed appeared behind them. She breathlessly whispered against his lips, "Let's go tah bed."_

"YOU WHAT?" screamed Isabel, snapping Lonnie out of her flashbacks. Isabel could feel her heart clench in her chest. She could barely contain her anger, but at the same time, she didn't know how to get any of it out. She was too surprised, too taken aback. "I cannot believe you! How dare you—you sleep with—how dare you!"

"Did I mention he's got these cute little freckles all ovah his ass? They're not really brown, but like a light golden color," Lonnie teased.

Just as Isabel was about to lunge towards her in an attempt to start a physical fight, the doorbell rang. Mrs. Evans' voice rang out from down the stairs. "Isabel, Alex is here to see you!"

She stopped; her arms in mid-air with her fingers in scratching position like a cat. "What? Why is he here to see me?" Isabel asked herself in disbelief. _I didn't call him over_ , she thought, _I don't want to see his freck—him, HIM right now. Oh god, what do I do?_

Lonnie pushed her down onto the bed and shoved a pillow into her twin's face. "Stay 'ere, he's here to see meh," she said with a wink. "Don't worry, blondie. I won't hurt him… much," she laughed as the door closed behind her.

**Flashback** : _"Wow," Alex breathed out as he stared at the ceiling in awe. "That was… that was amazing!" he exclaimed in pure happiness. "I never thought I could be with you like this, Isabel. God, I love you so much!"_

_Lonnie tried to calm her breathing down. Fucking Rath was better, but this cornball… he wasn't half-bad. His technique was different from Rath's—tender, slow, and, disgustingly, loving while Rath was rough, fast, and a biter. She turned over to him. "Yo, sorry to burst yer bubble, but I ain't Isabel," she admitted._

" _What are you talking about, Isa—" said Alex as he turned over. Then he watched as Isabel changed into Lonnie. "L-Lonnie!" he shouted in surprised._

" _Come over to the Evans place tomorrow night," she said before slipping out of his dream. "This ain't no jus' a dream, opie."_

As Lonnie descended down the stairs, she watched as fear passed over Alex's face. Resisting the urge to laugh, she greeted him. "Hello Alexander."

"L-L-Lonnie, h-hey, where's Isabel?" he said awkwardly, tugging on his collar. She took in his outfit—black jeans and a striped button-up shirt. Gosh, could he be any nerdier?

"We's gonna talk first, opie," she said, leading him outside.

Sitting down on the porch bench, Alex scratched his head and stared at his shoes. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Like ya don't know," she hinted at him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Lonnie smiled. She knew he knew what she was talking about. His adam's apple was bobbing too much for him to not know. "So ya wanna go for round _dos_?" Then she made a crude hand gesture for sex.

His eyes widened to the point where Lonnie thought his eyes were going to just roll out like they were too slippery to stay in his sockets. "Oh my god, you were in my dream!"

"Damn straight, opie. Didn't I tells ya it weren't no dream?"

"I-I t-thought it was Kyle!" he exclaimed.

"Ya thought yer was fuckin' jock-boy?" Lonnie asked in confusion. There's no way in hell that Alex confused her or "Isabel" to be sports-boy. It wasn't possible. They both had huge racks and one important thing, vaginas. When did Lonnie herself ever have a penis? Surely she would've noticed. Just as she was about to peek through the waistband of her pants to make sure, Alex spoke.

"N-N-NO! I mean, I blamed it on Kyle for putting the idea of… of having a threesome with you and Isabel in my head. I thought it was just my imagination getting the best of me, leading me to dream about… about you and me."

"Nah, man. But don'ts worry. Ya weren't bad."

"I wasn't?" he squeaked out.

"Too slow for mah own good, but you's okay. You'll get Isabel off." She chuckled as Alex suddenly choked on his own spit. "So ya wanna try it out for reals?" she asked, shifting closer to him. Just as she was about to press her lips against his, he lightly pushed her away.

"Lonnie, I-I can't. I love Isabel," he replied, smiling at the image of Isabel in his head. He thought, _is this what the psychic meant when she said I wouldn't be conflicted in my decision? Is the decision over Isabel or Lonnie? If it was, it's Isabel all the way!_

She couldn't understand how he could choose Isabel over her. She had a hell of a better body than her twin and she looked better too. Shrugging, she figured cornballs just happened to stick with cornballs. "Thought I'd try. Don't worry, opie, she—"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" cried Isabel who marched over them with a purpose. "Get your slutty hands off of him! He's mine!" she screamed.

Alex choked once more while Lonnie burst out in laughter, holding up her hands in surrender once again. It took a moment for Isabel to process everything that Lonnie had told her earlier. Believing it to be a moment in insanity, she was unnerved by the emotions she was feeling. She felt jealous and angry. She felt insecure and inadequate. And most of all, she felt like she was going to lose Alex forever to her twin. She was going to lose Alex, the only guy who saw her for her and not just for her beauty.

"Don't worry, blondie. He's all yers," said Lonnie. Yes, she did try to steal Alex from Isabel, but in a way, she did her twin a favor—she got Isabel to admit her feelings for Alex. It all just seemed to work out even if she hadn't meant to do this. She smiled, feeling quite good about herself and walked off into the night to leave the two alone.

As Isabel sat down next to Alex, they did not say a word to each other. There was just too much confusion in the air to speak. Alex glanced over at Isabel who was staring at the ground, completely lost in thought. Breaking the silence, he began to speak, but Isabel stopped him.

"Don't say anything, Alex. Just… just don't. Let's just sit here for a while, okay?" she asked, staring at her lap. He nodded. He didn't know what to think, but if only he knew that Isabel felt the same way, perhaps he would be more at ease. Isabel was so confused. It was only a few moments ago when she said she didn't have a thing for Alex, but when she saw Lonnie leave to go to him, she didn't think. Her body just took over. She was moving down the stairs, practically flying down, and ripped the door open to find them sitting together on her porch. Words flew out of her mouth before her brain even processed them. And now… by her reaction, she admitted that she did feel something for Alex. It just about tore her apart. She was so scared of letting someone else in, but someone like Alex was dangerous. She twitched. She hated to be put in this position, but she couldn't deny it anymore. She liked Alex and Alex liked her, even after he found out her dark secret. Her eyes flicked over to Alex's hand which was resting by her knee.

Alex jumped a little but then smiled when he felt Isabel's fingers weaved with his own. He always made his feelings clear when it came to Isabel, but she never told him how she felt. She was always cold, then warm, and then cold the next in a matter of seconds, hence her nickname as "Ice Princess." He was always there for her no matter what. He could handle her shutting him out, he could even handle her screaming at him, but all he wanted her to know was he was there for her. Alex knew in this moment that it was a huge step for both of them, a huge step for Isabel.

Together they sat, staring at the stars, completely in content as their hands molded together.

* * *

Rath found Lonnie sitting on a swing. He felt her calling to him. Not literally calling him on the phone or calling to him in his mind, but he had a feeling that she needed him. It was just something they developed in the years they've spent together. No matter what, he could always feel her. So he left the Crashdown, trusting his instincts to lead him to her and there he found her, sitting in the dark, swinging back and forth.

"Rough night, Lon'?" he asked.

"These cornballs!" she said with frustration.

"What did da nerd do? I'll kill 'im!"

"Nah, he dumped me for mah valleygirl dupe."

"Ya too, huh?"

Lonnie's eyebrow twitched. "What do ya mean 'ya too'?"

"I gots rejected for mah bro."

"Pixie?"

"Yeah, I figure she was all vulnerable and shit so I could git a little lay of the land, but mah bro shows up, ruinin' it all."

She scoffed. "They don't know what they're missin'!" Rath threw his hand up in the air as if he was making a toast and said, "Hear hear."

They then looked at each other for a second before bursting out in laughter. They laughed so hard they were clutching their stomachs. Were they really angry about being rejected? God, what were they trying to do—hook up with Roswellian nerds? Obviously it wouldn't have worked out either way. They were too different. Had they really gone crazy for a moment there? Were they just trying to fit in or prove something?

"Ya know Lon', Pixie ain't got nothin' on ya," flirted Rath. Sure he had taken a liking to Maria, but she didn't compare to Lonnie. She was his first and boy did she have an amazing body. Maria had curves and pouty lips, but Lonnie had the complete package.

"Yeah, well, for sure Opie's got nothin' on ya either." Lonnie smiled, knowing exactly what Rath was trying to do. Rath had muscles that were visible, not invisible. He had good taste in music and he always came back to her. Standing up, she tugged on his leather vest's collar, bringing him to his feet. "How would ya like to test out the slides?" she growled into his ear before softly tugging on his earlobe in between her teeth.

With her breasts pressed against his chest, he knew full well what she meant. He ran his fingers gently through her short blonde hair, enjoying the smooth pale skin at the back of her neck. His hand fell down to her chest; he rubbed her nipple with his thumb through her thin wifebeater. It puckered and he groaned with the thought of tasting it. He teased, "Oh, I always wanted to play on da slides."

Lying down on the slide, she rolled her eyes with a grin at his reply. She grazed her hand against the growing bulge in his pants, pulled him down onto her body, and whispered against his lips, "Fuck me, Rath."

Licking her lower lip, he undid his leather pants and smirked. "Wit' pleasure, kitten," he growled and did just that.


	25. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines from "Leaving Normal" (Season 1, Episode 3) "The Blind Date" (Season 1, Episode 13) and "Skin & Bones" (Season 2, Episode 1).

_Last night I was dreamin' about us.  
We were sittin' down by the lake.  
We were close. I had my arms around you.  
Out of the corner of my eye, your hair color changed.  
You pulled me in. We started kissin',  
but it felt much different felt like I was sinnin'.  
I realized it wasn't you but the scariest part  
was deep down in my heart,  
I didn't want to wake up._

_My heart's in a battle  
I'm not sure I can win.  
I'm losing control of my love._

_I should've been a stronger man,  
should've been your soldier,  
but I chose to wave my white flag  
and let her takeover now.  
I should've protected our love.  
I should've protected our love.  
I should've protected our love.  
I should've protected our love._

...

" **The Takeover," Honor Society**.

* * *

**February 23, 2001, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz Parker was an ordinary girl, or so she thought at first. Born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, she was just a small town girl living her life. She worked at her parents' alien-themed restaurant, the Crashdown café, had the two greatest friends anyone could ever ask for, and was dating the sheriff's son who also happened to be the head of the basketball team. Her life seemed perfect so far. No one bugged her or made fun of her. She was in the spotlight without being in harm from the so-called reviews her classmates would make. Her interest in science grew thus the idea of becoming a microbiologist became a more realistic goal. She had the highest grades in the entire school and was on her way to becoming a valedictorian. Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Harvard—any school would kill to have her.

But then her world changed. She was the one that was unfortunately shot out of an entire café of people. She had lain on the ground, completely dazed and confused. All she knew was the burning sensation in her gut. It felt as if something had torn through her. No, correction: something _did_ pierce her flesh. As the blood pooled out from what seemed like such a small hole, she could literally feel life slipping away from her. Then Max Evans hovered over her, placed his warm hand over her wound, healed her like magic, and said, " _You're all right now. You're all right._ " In those simple words, her life would never be the same and for a while, she was okay with it. She accepted his secret, Michael's secret, and Isabel's secret. Her circle of friends grew. She accepted her different but wonderful new friends.

It seemed that life was going well. The Czechoslovakians were finding out about where they came from and it seemed it was destined for Max and Liz to be drawn together. He had been in love with her; she knew that later on and seeing his love for her—seeing how she was beautiful in his eyes despite them leading different lives—she couldn't help but fall back in love. No one had ever seen her that way, felt that way about her, not even Kyle.

Had she never been shot and destined to Kyle, she would have probably led a simple normal life where the good girl married the town jock. They would probably have a boy and a girl, and live in a nice house with a pet or two. They would be happy; this is how she mentioned Kyle to Grandma Claudia: " _We have a good time together._ "

But would they feel the same passion Max felt for her? Would she be blown away by every glance, every touch, every kiss? No, she wouldn't. She would have been destined to grow old in a life where everything was just normal and perfect. Thankfully Liz Parker wasn't destined to lead a simple life. In Max's eyes, she was glowing with radiance, always happy and perfect. She was his—what did he call her? " _You're my dream girl, Liz._ " Yes, she was his dream girl and he was her dream guy.

When her relationship with Kyle ended and hers with Max began, everything felt like a hurricane. Their first kiss was followed by more kisses. Simple caresses of the face and neck led to fingers in each other's hairs and somewhat gentle groping. Sweet kisses became desperate; they couldn't get enough of each other. What did Max say? " _I can't not touch you._ " All was well, their relationship was progressing, but then Tess Harding showed up and everything was thrown off balance. Suddenly, Max had a destiny, so Liz left him so he could fulfill his duties. And when she came back, she had honestly hoped he still wanted her, but she knew she couldn't be with him. She wanted to jump for joy when he confronted her—" _Liz, I know what you said… that things couldn't go back to the way they were, but pretend they could for just one second. Could you and I go back too?_ " She wanted to scream "Yes!" and throw herself into his arms, but somehow she restrained herself and said, " _I can't pretend, Max._ " Oh, how it broke her heart to say those words, how it broke her heart to see his face crumble.

As if she wasn't already suffering enough, Future-Max came. This story has already been told a thousand times—he came back to stop the end of the world and Liz was given the painful task of breaking Max's heart for good. She "slept" with Kyle, but really, she slept with Future-Max. Either way, this caused a rift between her and Max. Then on the brink of death, she met Future-Liz and when she thought her life couldn't get any more different, it did because the dupes came to Roswell. And as if it couldn't get worse, Zan only caused more problems between her and Max. Now here she was, at a standstill, completely lost on what to do, torn between two men. Grandma Claudia once said, " _If the relationship isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soulmate_ ," but she was currently sort of in two relationships and both were complicated. So just who was her soulmate: Max or Zan?

Naturally petite, the inhabitants of quaint little Roswell would never suspect Liz Parker was pregnant. Her stomach had begun to protrude a little more, but not enough to send alarms off in people's minds. Her once fitting clothes had been replaced with slightly baggy shirts and sweats. She no longer looked like the proper Elizabeth Parker people knew her to be. She now constantly looked like she rolled out of bed or was planning a trip to the gym. She had hoped no one would notice but nothing gets past Maria. In the end, Liz explained to Maria that the sweatpants were due to PMS. Seeing how Maria was caught up with her own problems with Michael, she accepted Liz's reason. Alex, Kyle, Rath, and Zan being guys, never really noticed (well, to Zan, she still looked perfect, but she didn't know that). She wasn't that close with Isabel to begin with so she never said a word to her. Lonnie and Ava, they barely even knew her.

So when Max appeared on at her doorstep one night, she was surprised…

Max drove to the Crashdown, completely unnerved with all the thoughts rushing through his mind. He could barely catch a proper thought without it being bombarded with another even worse thought. Before and since the dupes came, his world had been thrown off balance. He could barely control all his emotions, but mostly he just felt anger. It seemed as if there was always something pissing him off and he could do nothing about it. Every night he went to sleep, he dreamt the same thing over and over again—the same godforsaken memory. He couldn't even bear to sleep anymore. Instead, he tried to stay up as long as he could. He would lay in bed, staring up at his ceiling, completely drenched in darkness. With racing thoughts, it felt like hours he would lie in bed, but they were only truly minutes. He refused to sleep in fear. His parents and Isabel noticed the dark bags under his eyes, but he just shrugged them off. If only they really knew what he was going through…

His body was slowly wearing out. He had lost so much weight. His eyes were slightly blood-shot and his cheeks had sunken in a little. It was ironic because not too long ago, he used to love sleeping. It was in his sleep where he could be with Liz the way he wanted to be. Before she knew his secret, he had countless dreams of just sitting across from her in the Crashdown on a simple date. He wanted to talk to her and make her laugh. He wanted to see that brilliant smile; he wanted to know he was the reason for that smile. When their lives finally collided together, when he couldn't just stand back and watch her die, he only dreamt of kissing her lips and feeling her soft skin against his. But now his dreams haunted him.

Many sleepless nights passed, but tonight... He couldn't take it anymore. Tonight, he came to the Crashdown with a speech already rehearsed and exploding to be spoken. Knocking on the doors like he had done so many times before, Liz looked up with surprised. She leaned the wet mop against the door frame and unlocked the doors. The bells rang softly.

Pushing her hair behind her ear nervously, she asked, "Max, what are you doing here? It's late."

He couldn't help but notice how unkempt she looked. He took in her gray sweats that looked two sizes too big and the black t-shirt that made her look as if she had a boy's chest. "You look different," he commented. _Still beautiful_ , he thought, _but different_.

She looked down at her clothes and bit her lower lip nervously. She was kind of shocked when her father didn't object to her no longer wearing her uniform. "Do I?" she asked. She wondered if he sensed something. She prayed to God to not let him know she was pregnant. When Max nodded in response to her question, she hoped to change the subject already. She asked once again, "What are you doing here, Max?"

"I—… Liz, I need to know why you slept with… with them," he said, feeling as if the pressure on his shoulders had already lightened. He had wanted to ask her for a while now. Now he finally had the courage to. He just wanted to close his eyes and not see the memory anymore.

"Max, please don't do this." Liz was confused. She thought they were finally over this. Ever since she tried to kill herself, Max made it a point to be around her. He was even friendly towards her even if they didn't speak much. Now he was trying to move backwards. He wanted his old dreams back.

"I can't… I have to know," he said, putting his hands in his jean pockets.

"I don't understand, Max. We were doing so well. I thought we were moving past this. What's going on?"

"Liz, I can never be just your friend. It's not possible… for me. Ever since I first saw you in third grade, I knew you were the one for me. I knew I would never feel that way about anyone else ever again. Then when I healed you that day of the shooting, I knew things changed between us. Perhaps for the worst, but I knew it was mostly for the better. But I… The thing is I still love you. With all your faults, I still love you. I mean, God Liz! I still love you despite the fact that every time I close my eyes, I see you and Kyle, you and that… whoever he is! I see you and… It gets worse."

"Worse?" she questioned. How could it be worse than him seeing her with Kyle and to him, some other random guy? As much as she wanted to jump for joy that Max still loved her, she knew she could not reciprocate his love back. This wouldn't be what Future-Max wanted. She tried to stand her ground, but she was slowly losing her courage. He would always affect her in ways that no one could possibly understand.

"Kyle and that man, in my mind… When I see that night, they change… They change into Zan," he said, finally looking at her in the eyes after he finished his sentence. He couldn't make out what she was feeling. She was undescriptive and her eyes seemed blank. Licking his lips, he continued. "I need to know, Liz, if there is something going on between you two."

"What?" she said in disbelief. Why was he asking her this? She didn't understand how her answer would solve anything. Was he seeking for some comfort, for some relief? Giving it some thought, if she said no, then he would try to be with her again. If she said yes, there was no certainty on how he would react or what he would do. But most importantly, if she said yes, maybe he then would finally fall out of love with her.

"Liz, please. I need to know," he pleaded with her.

Quickly pushing her feelings aside, she coolly replied, "It is none of your business." It was neither a yes nor a no, but unintentionally it came across as a yes. She couldn't just plain out say yes because it would destroy him completely. They would never ever be friends again. They would be too broken to fix and how she longed to be by his side, even just as a friend. But it would be a flat out lie because her and Zan… they weren't together.

Then she quickly began to regret her answer when she saw the fury rush over Max's face. He grabbed her and yelled, "Tell me it's not true!" Liz was hurting, but so was Max. He had to know. He was an alien, but he was human too. There was only so much he could take. Liz was dragging him on a rollercoaster ride minus the seatbelt. His emotions were flying all over the place and he couldn't control them. That night when she slept with Kyle, he had two tickets to the Gomez concert. He was ready to pronounce his love for her, to tell her that nothing would ever separate them again, that he will always love her and only her. Then when he had the flash of her sleeping with someone else—that almost did him in. He could accept it if Liz admitted sleeping with Kyle was a mistake, but with another person… it was too much. Now he saw Zan and Liz, growing closer day by day. It scared him. He was afraid of losing her, but mostly he was afraid of the feelings that raged inside of him.

To others, they may see him as controlling, possessive, and jealous. This was true, but he couldn't help it. He was a leader, a king in his past life. He had the responsibility to look out for others. He was always the sensible and rational one. It was up to him to keep everyone balanced, even if that meant he had to take on the role of being a despot sometimes. Being possessive and jealous, these were the feelings he thought he would never experience before the shooting at the Crashdown. She wasn't his property nor did she have his name branded on her, but she was a part of him in a way that no one understood. Liz Parker had been in his heart since he was young, young enough to not be able to understand the feelings that made his stomach flip whenever she was around. As they grew up as lab partners, he tried to make sense of why his heart would pitter-pattered like the rain when she sat down next to him or why he trembled when his fingers accidentally touched hers. Slowly, he understood that she was the love of his life from grade three. She was always a dream that would never come true. He spent nights just wishing he was normal enough to ask her out, but he couldn't because he was different. And his life changed for the better when he was able to save her life. With all the things they had been through—running from the FBI, jumping off bridges, he couldn't just let her go without a fight, without a proper reason. He knew their love was still there.

"M-Max, let go. You're hurting me," she said, struggling to get out of his grip but his hands only tightened around her arms. The feelings—he couldn't stop them. His eyes had gone pure black in rage.

"TELL ME!" he roared.

Then as if to prove how much he loved her, he grabbed her face and slammed his lips to hers. He wanted to show her they were perfect together. They were made for each other—their arms would fit perfectly, their lips would find each others' as if they had been doing this for lifetimes before, and they both would feel the same rush of pleasure being this close to one another. He knew she still loved him. Her eyes told him so, but she strayed from him as if her life depended on it. That was one thing he never understood; her need to constantly run away from him baffled him.

His lips roughly grazed against hers, nipping, seeking, molding their lips together like melted metal. Liz let out a small yelp when she felt his teeth bite down on her lower lip. If she was bleeding, she didn't know because she was being devoured alive. She tried to stop him, but when his tongue grazed against her own, she clenched her eyes shut. This felt too familiar for her. This was an act she had done so many times with him.

His grip stayed on her arms and pulled her to him. As his hard body was pressed against hers, his mouth grew wider, grew more forceful, and all Liz could was try to ignore it all. His left hand tangled itself in her hair while his right roamed down and cupped her buttock to him. She whimpered at the feel of his hand and shuddered when his tongue lashed against hers not just once, twice, or thrice. She was reacting to his body against hers and she couldn't stop. He drank her in. She wanted to fight back, but not in the way one would think. She wanted to respond to his kisses, wanted to hold him to her with just as much force. She wanted him.

Instead, she chose to stay limp and let him devour her body and soul. He guided her; they bumped into the souvenir rack and then found their way to a table where he sat her down on it as he continued his attack. His mouth sought out for her neck, the curve where her neck met her shoulder. She missed this—the softness of his lips, the taste of him, the feel of him. She missed this so damn much. She cried out softly when she felt his teeth sink into her shoulder before capturing her lips once again. It had been too long since she was given this addiction. It didn't matter she was wearing sweats. She could feel the heat of his hands on her quads. Her body was rushing with energy; she felt rejuvenated like she hadn't felt in such a long time.

His tongue grazed against hers repeatedly again, pushing out all the air from her lungs. Before she knew it, her hands _were_ in his hair, _were_ all over his body. She held him to her. She loved him. God, how she loved him. This was wrong and she knew it, but she couldn't stop, not when it came to Max Evans. It was like chemistry. Her body recognized his and could only respond. She could be screaming in her head, but still, her body would not obey. Definitely, her body wouldn't obey.

Max wasn't planning on this. He just wanted to confront her, to get the truth from her, to talk to her. Mauling her like this wasn't what he wanted, but still he couldn't stop. This reminded him of the time he took her by the deep fryer. Liz looked so tempting in both times. He just had to touch her, had to kiss her. He couldn't even think. All he felt was pleasure.

But the danger of being in such close physical contact came with the repercussions: A flash came.

**Flash** : _Zan, clad only in a towel, tumbled onto Liz's bed with her in his arms._

"Elizabeth, is someone downstairs?" yelled Jeff from upstairs who had heard a clanging noise.

Mr. Parker's voice broke Max out of the flash, out of his hound dog act, and he released her. Breathless, his lips were raw and his limbs numb. He stumbled back with his eyes wide at what he had seen. What had he seen? He saw a barely covered Zan fall into bed with Liz. He went to bed with Liz. Liz had slept with Zan!

"Liz, tell me it's not true," he choked out.

Liz knew this was a bad idea. She cursed at herself more times than she had ever done in her lifetime. _God, how could I have been so stupid_ , she yelled at herself, _God, Liz! What the hell is wrong with you? If Future-Max were here, he would rip my head off. GOD! What have I done? I ruined everything I worked so hard to do!_

"Max, you have to go," she pleaded with him, trying to push back the tears. She couldn't face him. She knew what he probably had thought from the flash—that she slept with Zan. She didn't, but he didn't know that. If the flash didn't happen, if her father never interrupted them, who knew how far they would have gone… Liz was willing to be fucked by Max on top of a table in the Crashdown.

"Please tell me it's not true!" he cried out.

"It's true, Max," she lied. Liz wanted to run away when she saw everything of him fall away. The light in his eyes had diminished. His face fell and all expression just left. It was then she knew that she, Liz Parker, deserved the award for emotionally killing Max Evans.

First it was one, then it was two, now it was… Three people—three people had been before him. His brain couldn't process the information. He clenched his hands and eyes. He couldn't—he couldn't! He banged his fists repeatedly against his head in agony. Why was fate so cruel to him? What had he done to deserve all this pain?

"Why? Why? WHY?!" he cried. He only wanted to be with Liz, that's all he ever wanted. He would've given everything just to be with her. He would have done everything just to keep her safe. And this is how she repaid him. His lips tightened as his eyes watered. Unable to say anything else, he spitted, "You _slut_."

If there was a person controlling these flashes, Liz would have murdered him or her a long time ago. The flashes brought nothing but trouble. It wasn't her fault that her emotions were open when it came to Max. It wasn't her fault that she was an open book. It was just this connection she had with him. She could never close it, not with him.

Under normal circumstances, she would have let him slide, but she wasn't a slut. She had only been with one man and that one man was technically him, technically Max Evans, just from the future is all. Enraged by him calling her a slut, she slapped him. He didn't know how much she had done through because of him, what she had done for him, for everyone. She had always thought Max would be her first… But if sleeping with his future-self made her a slut, then a slut she was. But the way he said it to her, she never felt more disgusted than ever. He said it as if she was some cockroach that was destined to be crushed under the hard soles of a shoe by some stranger, like she was some worthless rat that was meant to be poked and prodded with.

With nothing left to say and overwhelmed with anger, he hissed at the stinging pain on his cheek when her tiny hand connected with his face. He knew the words he said. He knew he deserved it. Clenching his teeth together, he left. If he didn't leave now, he felt like he would do something else he would regret. He wanted to punch something, but worse, he was afraid he would slap Liz back. He feared he would hurt Liz if he didn't leave. So he fought with his body and disappeared through the doors.

Liz could only watch him get into his jeep and drive off before she broke out into tears. God, she had been so scared. She had never seen Max that furious, that broken before. That wasn't the Max Evans she knew, but she couldn't blame him. Feeling her legs turn to jello, she crumbled to the ground, cupping her face.

"Elizabeth?" asked her father once again. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," she choked out between sobs. "I'm fine."

* * *

Coming home to find Lonnie, Isabel, and Zan lounging on the couch, watching some mindless infomercial, Max violently grabbed Zan up by the collar and hauled him to his room. Lonnie and Isabel could only watch in surprise, but they weren't surprised. Max and Zan had it out for one another, so this was nothing.

"Yo man, git yer dirty hands off of meh," Zan said, ripping Max's hand off when they reached his room. "Wha da fuck is yer problem?"

"You're my _fucking_ problem!" yelled Max. "YOU!" he said, pointing at his twin. "You stay away from her!"

Quickly understanding what this conversation was about and where it was heading, he straightened up and smirked. "Is dis what dis is all about?" He began to laugh. They managed to always come back to this point—to Liz.

Only angered by his laughter, Max shoved Zan. "Stop laughing, you fucking asshole!"

Zan quickly lost all the humor in his body when he was pushed. He shoved Max right back. "If she wants tah be wit' me, den she's wit' me," he said, challenging his twin.

"If you dare go near her, I'll—"

"You'll what? Fuck me up?" Zan said, cutting Max off. "I ain't goin' nowhere and I sure as hell ain't stayin' away from her."

"Touch her and I will kill you!" yelled Max as he tried to punch Zan only to have Zan grip him by the throat and shove him against the door.

"It's yer fault for lettin' her go in da first place," Zan growled. "Yer don't deserve her. Ya know how many times she's been hurt by ya? How many times she cried ova ya? Yer don't deserve her."

"And what? You do?" Max said in disgust, trying to break free with no success. He glared at his twin. "You're nothing but scum. Trash. _You_ don't deserve her. You're nothing but garbage."

Zan had been called names all his life; it came with the territory. He was abandoned as soon as he broke out from his pod. Homeless and starving from day one, he lived like a rat, surviving on scraps of food he found in the garbage cans. He was used to being taunted by the older adults, but hearing his dupe call him a trash… it enraged him. What right did this Max Evans have to call him garbage? It wasn't as if he asked to be abandoned in the sewers. He didn't ask to be parentless or to grow up unloved by others. He didn't ask to steal so he could provide food and clothes for his family. He didn't ask for any of it, so what right did his twin have to call him that?

"Betta den you," he angrily replied. Liz was beautiful in his eyes. She was innocent, pure, and she glowed like an angel. She understood him and accepted him for what he was. He was flawed and she knew that yet she still stuck around. He had nothing much on this Earth besides Rath, Lonnie, and Ava, but ever since both future and present Liz came crashing into his life, he knew he found a reason to go on living. She was his reason that he was sent to Earth. He was meant to be with her.

"You stay away from her," choked out Max as his twin's grip tightened around his neck.

Since technically Future-Liz was present Liz, Zan growled into Max's ear, "I already had her. More than once."

Then Max buckled against his grip, going ballistic. His hand glowed green and tore Zan's hand off him. He punched his double in the face. Zan's head whipped to the side forcefully from the impact. He groaned in pain and touched his lip. He was bleeding. Licking his split lip, his hand surged a brighter green than Max's and punched him back in the face. Max fell straight to the ground, knocked out by the punch with thanks to Zan's powers that made the hit more like an anvil crashing on his twin's head.

Smirking, Zan said to Max's unconscious body, "Ya seem to forgit, I grew up on da streets. My powers are more powerful than yer's. I'm stronger den ya." He swiped his hand over his face, cleared up his bloody lip, and then he left the Evans home.


	26. Chapter 22

_So you're scared to show your feelings.  
Baby, I do understand.  
Well I don't make a promise I can't keep  
and I vow to be a real good friend._

_In those big green eyes, I see a glow of love.  
I just hope I'm the one you're dreaming of._

_Let me be the one to love you.  
Let me be the one to care.  
Let me be the one to light your flame.  
Oh baby, oh baby,  
let me be the one._

_We spend all our time together.  
We can't stand to sleep alone.  
When you say you have to leave for now,  
I miss you before you're gone._

_All along, we thought this was absurd (absurd).  
Every moment we spend goes by too fast.  
Darling, darling, take this chance with me  
_' _cause I have eyes only for you._

_Oh baby,  
let me be the one to love you.  
Let me be the one to care.  
Let me be the one to light your flame.  
Oh baby, oh baby,  
let me be the one.  
Let me be the one to love you.  
Let me be the one to care.  
Let me be the one to light your flame.  
Oh baby, oh baby,  
let me be the one for you._

_Don't be scared to show your feelings  
_ ' _cause baby I do understand.  
And I don't make promises that I can't keep  
and I vow to be a real good man._

" **Let Me Be The One," Blessid Union Of Souls**.

* * *

**March 4, 2001, Sunday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

There had been a lot of tension in the group. Michael was pissed off at Rath for trying to steal Maria away from him. Maria was pissed off at Michael for cheating on her with Courtney. She was annoyed at Rath trying to take advantage of her during her vulnerable state. Isabel was furious that Lonnie dreamwalk-sexed Alex. Alex was ticked off that Lonnie had tricked him (but secretly, he was happy about it as well). Max wanted to kill Zan for just breathing the same air as Liz. Zan wanted to rub in Max's face that he could have Liz if he wanted to. Liz was angry at both of them for getting into a fight (Lonnie was explaining to Ava how Max went all ape-shit on Zan and how Zan showed him who was boss. Liz overheard). Rath and Lonnie didn't care about their actions and chose to flaunt their relationship in everyone's face by ridiculously making out to the point where it looked like they were consummating in public. So far, the three people that no one was angry with were Ava, Kyle, and Tess. But then again, it was too soon to tell. To prevent bloodshed and further complications, Rath and Zan had moved into Michael's. Oddly, Lonnie stayed with Isabel but that was because she knew she could handle Isabel single-handedly. Ava stayed with Liz. All seemed fine, but once again, it was too soon to tell.

"Yes, closing time!" exclaimed Liz as she dropped the broom to the ground with a clang and sat down next to Zan in a booth. He snickered at the sight of her stretching her legs out and closing her eyes as if she was basking in God's holiness. She was too cute for words, especially in that teal pinstriped baggy v-cut shirt that had easy to access buttons. His eyes trailed down her pale neck to the v-cut of her shirt where he saw a peek of the top of her breasts before shifting back up to her face. Even after working all day, she still looked good enough to eat. "I'm going to close up, take a shower, and sleep until Friday."

"Ya can't. Ya gots school tomorrow," he said, bursting her bubble. He tried not to laugh as she threw a small fit in her seat.

"I don't wanna," she whined, letting out a groan that sounded like a cross between a human in pain and a kitten in distress.

"Ya hafta," he replied, resting his head on top of hers. "Gotta keep up your smarts, get into a good blah blah blah," he said. To be honest, he could care less about getting an education—he didn't get any himself—but he knew it was important to his angel. He quickly noticed her body temperature was higher than normal and grimaced when his skin made a somewhat tearing noise when his forehead peeled away from hers. "You's feelin' alright, Angel?" he asked, placing his hand on her forehead.

Pushing his hand off, she scrunched up her nose. "I'm alright. I haven't been feeling too good lately."

"Yer sick?"

 _More like pregnant_ , she thought. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and mumbled a 'maybe.' Her stomach was growing everyday and soon, she won't be able to hide it anymore. The tight shirts underneath the baggy shirts weren't helping. She was ready to the point where she was going to start wearing corsets, but obviously that wasn't good for the baby. As she got up, she felt the room spin. She gripped the corner of the table, trying to steady herself. The room swayed, making her feel like she was on a seesaw. Getting dizzy, even with her eyes scrunched closed, her eyes rolled back and she began to fall.

"Woah!" cried Zan as he caught her before she hit the ground. "Liz, Liz! Yer alright?" He lowered her to the ground and used his chest to support her back. He held her close, afraid of what just happened. He clenched his jaw when he felt her tiny fingers press against his arm as if she was holding onto him as a lifeline.

Feeling the world around her steady, she blinked a few times in confusion. She had fainted only once before and that one time was enough for her to never want to experience it again. She had read about pregnant women fainting in their early stages, but she figured if she ate enough, drank enough water, and exercised enough, it wouldn't happen to her. She was wrong. "Yeah, yeah, I guess I just stood up too fast," she explained.

"Stood up too fast, my ass," he said, clearly not believing her. He hooked his arm under her leg, lifted her up off the ground, and began to carry her upstairs to her room as if she weighed nothing.

"No, Zan," she protested. "I'm fine. Let me down. I can walk."

"Like hell I lettin' ya walk. Now, shut yer trap and let me be da man, 'kay?"

Ready to open her mouth to yell at him for telling her to shut her 'trap,' she decided not to. He was carrying her up the stairs like a caveman but like a gentleman too. He even caught her before she hit the ground. If he hadn't, she was sure she would have a huge bruise. Instead, she wrapped an arm around his neck and allowed herself to be carried off like a princess. The moment didn't last as long as she had hoped. He moved quick, gracefully, and the feeling of his tight muscles against her was enough to give her another dizzy spell. She felt like a child. Her eyes were wide while her hand was pressed against his chest. She was overwhelmed with his minty smell—he smelled like a man, a really hunky man's man. He had held her before, but this… She was completely in his arms with no way of escaping. He held her as if he was saving her from a fire and she couldn't help but smile a little as her heart thudded against her ribcage.

As he laid her down on the bed, slightly sitting up, he began to run his hands over her body. Once Liz noticed his hands were glowing, she tried to push them away. "No, Zan, I'm alright. I probably just have the flu or something. I'll go to the doctor tomorrow."

"Liz," Zan said sternly.

"Please, Zan. I'm fine."

"Humor me, eh?" he asked.

"Zan, don't. I'm not sick." Technically, this was true unless someone counted the baby as a virus or a tumor.

"Then what?" he said, continuing to run his hands along her body. "Ya suddenly have a fever 'cause ya ain't sick? Ya fainted 'cause ya ain't sick? Tell meh."

Sighing, she knew she wasn't going to get him to stop examining her body. He was just like Max—stubborn as hell. If he kept this up, he would find out. She really didn't want him to find out through his powers. It wasn't how she wanted him to find out in the first place! Deciding to tell him instead of letting him find out on his own, she began to say, "I'm preg—"

"You're pregnant!" Zan cried, beating her to it as an image of a baby curled up inside Liz's stomach flashed in his mind. He blinked at his hand resting against her now ever present bulging stomach.

Liz blinked as she was taken aback. God, had he found out that fast? Alien powers definitely trumped all so-called modern technology and everything else in the world, including confessions. "Zan, I—"

Sitting down besides her, not really looking at her, he asked, "Who's the father?"

Her answer was a three letter word. A simple three letter word yet she found herself having a hard time of saying it. When he noticed her silence, he finally looked at her with eyes that seemed hurt. Biting her lower lip nervously only to have Zan pluck it away from her upper teeth with his finger, she turned over. She couldn't face him when she would tell him. Staring out her window, she begged the stars to give her strength, she begged Future-Max and Future-Liz to give her strength. How was it possible that she turned out to be Future-Liz? There was no way she became that person. She wasn't that strong, that courageous, that exciting, and that alive. God, she wasn't ready for any of this. She wasn't ready to give up on Max, not after their brief and horribly concluded make-out session. She wasn't ready to be a mother. She wasn't ready to settle down forever. She wasn't ready for anything.

This was all happening way too fast. It was as if someone had pressed the fast forward button or decided to speed up time like a television show. She didn't want to tell him now. She just wasn't ready. She thought she had more time to figure things out. God, why did everything always happen to her? She never asked to be put in this situation or any situation for the matter of fact. Couldn't things just work out in her favor for once? Liz groaned and buried her face into her hands.

"Angel, tell me. Is it Max's?" he asked, slightly choking out the question. He feared so much that the child was Max's, that his twin had beaten him to it, that he had lost her forever. If she was pregnant with his twin's child, he couldn't interfere anymore. If she was pregnant with Max's child, then the outcome would be Max. She would choose Max. She would be lost from him forever.

Closing her eyes in horror, she almost wished the child was Max's instead. If the child was Max's, then Max would be in her life forever. She would be tied with him despite Tess being in the picture. Maybe she would get her happy ending after all. Then maybe this wouldn't be so hard for her to admit. But Zan—he invoked feelings in her like never before. He made her feel safe like Max did. The difference was he was more dangerous, rough around the edges, and crude, but he was always honest with his feelings with her. He let it known that he liked her, just like Max, but he didn't let anything get in the way of that. Max had his destiny and was somewhat focused on it yet Zan threw away his destiny like a day old pizza slice. It just seemed easier to tell Max rather than Zan. Why? Why?! Even she didn't know the answer.

Grabbing the pillow, she placed it on her face, laid on her back, and mumbled into it: "It's yours, Zan. It's yours." The anvil that had been resting on her chest suddenly lifted. All the months of secrecy were gone. Someone finally knew. She wasn't alone anymore. Someone could finally share the burden with her. Still, she felt uneasy about everything. How would Zan feel? How would he react? Would the baby be too much? Would he run away from his fatherly duty because their relationship had gone from simple flirting to suddenly practically a marriage? Her breath hitched as the bed dipped lower and she felt Zan's arm and leg brush against her own.

He made a small laugh. "I's sorry. I thought I heard ya say it's—"

"It's yours," she replied, cutting him off, still buried in the pillow.

"What do ya mean it's mine? We haven't… We haven't been together like… like that! You know, sex and all 'cause I'd definitely remember if I fucked you, Angel."

She then let out a small scream into the pillow which made him jump a little in fear. Liz clutched onto the pillow tighter, pressing the cloth-covered cotton material on her face. Zan's eyes bulged as he heard her wheezing. _Is she tryin' to off herself_ , he wondered. He quickly began to grab the pillow off her face only to end up struggling against Liz's grip on it. "Angel, let go."

"No" came her muffled reply.

"Let go."

"I don't want to."

"Liz Parker, let go! Don't make me use mah powers 'cause I will blow dat pillow whether it's still on yer face or not," he said, getting pissed off, but he wouldn't have actually done it. The good thing about the way he looked was his threats were always taken seriously, even if he didn't mean them.

Giving up, she blew the hair that rested against her nose as the pillow was lifted and turned away once again, showing her back to him. "You slept with Future-Liz," she stated.

"Yeah, so?"

"This is her child."

Zan shook his head, confused. "What? What are ya talkin' 'bout? I don't understand."

"When I quote unquote died, Future-Liz came to see me. Before she disappeared on you, she was pregnant. When we were talking, she gave me your child."

"SHE WHAT?" Zan voiced in disbelief.

"She knew she couldn't have the child. She knew that I wasn't going to die, so she transferred the child to me." She peeked over her shoulder at Zan who had a blank look on his face. Was he mad? Was he disappointed? Was he happy? She couldn't tell. She turned away again. That blank look—it was better than a look of fear, but she couldn't read him.

He croaked, "You're carrying my child?"

She nodded and then felt a rush of panic leave her body as his arms wrapped around her from behind. His body pressed up against her completely, spooning her. Burying his face into her soft neck, he cried. He had been in so much pain when Future-Liz left him. She had made him happier than he had ever been in his entire life. She gave him a reason to live, a reason to be grateful to have been cloned and sent to Earth. When she disappeared, he felt as if a part of him went with her. He had lost a huge chunk of himself and thought he would never feel happiness again. But then when he saw Liz, he couldn't help but realize that this Liz would become the same Liz he had fallen in love with, not that he didn't love this Liz for the way she was. He never even thought about having a child with her or having a child period, but now that he was told he was going to be a father, he was ecstatic. He was overwhelmed with happiness that he and Future-Liz created a child, a child of both him and her, a child made out of love, and how this child will be born into this world for all to see. The feeling grew warm all over his chest till his heart felt like it was going to burst inside of him.

Liz could feel the warm tears slide down her neck. She licked her lips. Why was he crying? Why was he— Zan pressed his lips against the back of her neck in a gentle kiss and smiled against her skin. Then Liz began to cry too. Was she crying because she was happy? Was she crying because she was finally able to tell someone? Was she crying because her baby would no longer be a secret? Was she crying because Zan was accepting responsibility? Was she crying because Zan had stuck around for her? She was crying for all those reasons. She clutched onto his arms, making his hold on her tighter. They held each other, smiling and crying. They were complicated and had a complicated relationship, but right now, it seemed like everything was going to be okay.

"Liz," he mumbled into her hair, his voice slightly quivering, "Are ya okay wit' dis?"

"I'm more than okay," she said. Even with all her doubts, she knew she was sure she would have this child. There was never any doubt in that. "I want this child, Zan. Whether it's a him or a her, alien or human, I want this child."

"God, it's _my_ child! Oh god…" Zan took in her teary eyes and her trembling lower lip. She never looked any more beautiful than in this moment.

She grabbed his hand and placed it under her shirt and on her stomach. "It's too soon, but he or she is inside there, growing slowly," she whispered. Her breath hitched again when she felt his warm hand against her skin.

Amazed at feeling the small bump and the smooth skin under his palm, he wondered why the hell he never noticed it before. He knew she had been wearing clothes that swallowed her whole, but how could he have not noticed?! God, this was the last thing he had expected to hear or find out when Liz fainted. Though this was Future-Liz's child, it was technically Liz's too. They had created a life together. He couldn't get it out of his head. She was carrying his child. She was the mother of his child. His child!

Happy, he turned Liz over onto her back, cupped the back of her neck, and pressed his lips against hers lightly. Liz placed her hand on his smooth cheek, letting herself fall. This kiss was different from their first kiss. It wasn't rough, demanding, and possessive. He didn't grab her forcefully and took her as he pleased. This kiss was so soft that it felt like feathers brushing against one another. This was the kiss of promise, love, and reliability. There was no tongue, just lips in a slow dance. They only felt each other's light puffs of air, the now cool tears on their cheeks, and warm lips.

Liz let out a meek moan when his tongue finally swiped against hers. Her arms came under his arms and rested against his back, pressing him against her. He tasted just as good as he smelled. She could feel tiny electric currents run down her body as his stubbly chin grazed against her own. She parted her legs, welcoming him, and hooked one leg around him. She felt his penis grow against her and she shuddered at the sudden large growth. His rough hand slid up from her knee to her upper thigh. Her skin was so smooth, so soft. He wanted to go higher, but he stopped himself. He wanted to remember what her body was like, wanted to feel her heat under his fingers, wanted to make her so wet that she coated his hand completely, but they had only crossed over the friendly flirting line. They would be together now and though she was pregnant with his child, it was too soon. Normally Zan wouldn't care. He had billions of one night stands, but with Liz, he'd go through all the bases with her.

Liz was already wet when she felt his hand travel up her leg. Her nipples were so hard they begged to be touched. She wondered if he could feel it drilling into his chest because she sure took notice of his firm chest resting on her. God, she wished his hand would touch her. It had been so long since she… As much as she loved Max, she knew she was falling for Zan too.

When he pulled apart, he buried his face into her neck once again. God, he loved her so much. All those times he hated his life, hated the fact that he grew up on the streets, it was all worth it as long as it lead him down this road again. He no longer had a reason to be jealous of Max because now Liz was his body and soul.

"Zan?" she asked, confused as to why he stopped.

"Shhh, not now, Liz. We only jus' figured out where we stand."

She nodded, understanding. As time ticked away, they fell asleep together with Zan's arms wrapped around Liz, his hand on her stomach. In the middle of the night, border lining on morning of the next day, Zan's hand automatically glowed against her stomach. Then a very tiny palm-like glow from inside Liz's stomach appeared, pressing against Zan's own larger one.


	27. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's assume all the Kyle/Tess quips in the Roswell episodes never happened, okay?
> 
> There are lines/scenes taken from "Ask Not" (Season 2, Episode 2), "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5), and Harvest (Season 2, Episode 6), "Meet The Dupes" (Season 2, Episode 8), "To Have and Hold" (Season 3, Episode 6), and "Interruptus" (Season 3, Episode 7).

_I made a choice that I regret.  
Now what I see is what I get.  
It's too late to look back.  
I've got no way to switchback.  
It's too late to look back.  
Ain't okay, I've got no way to switchback…_

_A painful picture that I can't forget,  
now what I see is what I get.  
It's too late to look back.  
I've got no way to switchback.  
It's too late to look back.  
Ain't okay, I've got no way to switchback._

_Wait, how can it be too late?  
'Cause I don't want to play  
with such a price to pay.  
Chained to what I can't reclaim,  
I'll never be the same…_

" **Switchback," Celldweller**.

* * *

**March 15, 2001, Thursday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

_God, where am I_ , asked Isabel. This was the sixth time this week she had been stuck in this place. She didn't know where she was nor was there anyone around to help her. This place—it felt so familiar to her, like she had been here before these dreams started, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she was at. The marble floor clicked under her black heels. The red dress molded with her body as if it were her second skin—it was tight which made it all the harder to breathe. The curtains grazed lightly against her bare skin as the wind blew softly. Every time she was here, she would stroll down the dark hallways, but this time, it felt slightly different. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Fear sunk into her body as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. As the sounds of her thumping heart started to pound in her ears, she knew something evil was coming. She couldn't explain this feeling she had, but she knew instinctively to run. Her heels began to beat the rhythm of her heart across the floor, but with the long dress, she looked as if she was gliding like a ghost. She ran towards the only door in the facility that she saw. Escape—it was her only way out. As her hand touched the handle, it magically opened from the other side, the door swinging out towards her, and the light blinded her eyes. Quickly, she covered her eyes and as a figure stepped through, Isabel gasped. "It's you," she gasped out.

"I'm glad to see you remember me," he said as he circled her. His voice was smooth and rough, almost as if he was channeling Jeremy Irons. That voice… it made her shiver.

She shook her head in denial. "No, I'm not one of you." What possessed her to say this, she had no idea. The words came out of her before she could even consciously think about them.

"Your destiny is with us, _with me_."

"NO!"

"You really don't remember, do you?" he questioned with an evil smile only to laugh a moment later. "If only the people could see you now, if only your pathetic followers could see you... Let me give you a piece of your beloved history. Your name was Vilandra, you were a princess, and you were beautiful, even more beautiful than you are now. You stopped all men in their tracks; now you're reduced to this plebeian body. Never mind that, when you come back, I'll find a way to bring you back to your original form."

"Who are you?" she asked with disgust.

He chuckled as an evil grin formed on his lips. "I was and am your lover. You see, Vilandra, we had a great love and you betrayed your brother, your people, for me."

"No, that's not true!"

"You sacrificed him. You sacrificed everyone, even yourself. And history, my dear, always repeats itself."

"Not this time!" she screamed at him.

"It's what you want. You just can't remember it right now. I'm here to take you back, Vilandra. I am Khivar—the leader of the rebellion, the man who currently sits on your brother's tarnished throne, the man for whom you sacrificed a kingdom, your lover."

"You lie!" she cried, hating the feeling of his eyes on her. It disgusted her, but at the same time, it turned her on. No, it disgusted her more. The past—whatever he was telling her, she knew deep down it was the truth. She had betrayed her family, her home, for this man, all for this man!

He laughed at her pathetic words. "Vilandra, why would I lie? I have nothing to gain from it. I am only telling you what you need to remember. You loved me as I still do now for you."

"I _don't_ love you," Isabel hissed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don't kid yourself, Princess. I know your heart is pounding right now and it's not from fear. It's because your body recognizes me. It remembers what it was like to be held by me, to be kissed by me, to be touched by me. We belong together. I understand you in ways that no one ever can. You have a side to you that you never show anyone. It's dark, angry, and you love it. _I_ love it."

Isabel turned her head away. Her tears blurred her vision. Everything he was telling her… it was true! God damn it; it was true and she couldn't stop her body from reacting to the sound of his voice, to the outline of his body. She gritted her teeth and tried to regain control of her bodily functions.

"I'm coming for you, Vilandra. I'm coming," he said, quickly appearing behind her. As his hands gripped her hips, he thrust himself into her backside. "You will always be mine." All of the sudden, she felt she had no control over her body. Her eyes turned pure black till there was no longer any white left as the pleasure rushed from her head to her toe. She threw her head back, resting against his broad shoulder. She couldn't help but moan as his lower area rubbed against her backside. "Yes," she hissed painfully. Then he gripped her chin and caught her lips with his.

As his lips rubbed against hers, his tongue thrust into her mouth and she whimpered as the flashes overtook her.

**Flash** : _As she hurried out into the garden, she smiled, happy to finally be free from the leering eyes of all of Antar in her home. It wasn't that she disliked being royalty—what girl wouldn't like to be a princess? It was that she hated putting on this act for all to see, for all to accept her and love her. It wasn't who she was. She didn't enjoy plastering a fake smile on her face. She didn't enjoy being the role model for all women to follow. She didn't enjoy the fact that she couldn't just leave whenever she felt like it.  
_

_"_ _Suffocating, isn't it?" came a voice.  
_

_Vilandra turned around, shocked to find someone in the garden with her. She stiffened when a gorgeous man came from the shadows. "Yes," she said sternly. "And you are?"  
_

_"_ _Forgive me, Princess Vilandra," he said, bowing while keeping his eyes on her. "I am Khivar of—"  
_

_"I know who you are," she interrupted. "You protest against my family."  
_

_He snickered. "Sorry if I have offended you, Princess. It's just my beliefs."  
_

_"Please don't call me that."  
_

_"Call you what?" he asked.  
_

_"Princess. It isn't my name," she answered.  
_

_"Just Vilandra, then?" He smirked.  
_

_"Just Vilandra," she smiled._

**Flash** : _She laughed as Khivar plopped down on a field of flowers and began to roll around in it like an animal. "What are you doing, Khivar?"  
_

_He stopped and gazed up at her. "Well, making you laugh for one," he replied.  
_

_She rolled her eyes and then gave a yelp when he suddenly pulled her arm, causing her to fall on top of him on the ground. "Khivar, please!"  
_

_"Please what?"  
_

_"You know we can't," she said, begging him with her eyes to let her go.  
_

_"And why not?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.  
_

_"Because!"  
_

_"Because of your brother, your fiancé, your family?" he growled. "Damn them to hell, Vilandra! You love me and I love you. That's all we need."  
_

_"It isn't that easy, Khivar. They're my family! I can't just betray them like that!"  
_

_He sighed and tightened his hold around her waist. "Just… just one kiss, please."  
_

_"Khivar…"  
_

_"I just want to know what it would be like to kiss the woman who stole my heart," he said. She hesitated in her answer and he took that as an answer. He brushed his lips against her rosy cheek, dragged them to her lips, and held their lips together.  
_

_Vilandra sighed. Their first kiss—this was their first kiss after months of constant flirtation. Her body became shocked with life. His lips were giving her oxygen like she had never breathed in before. Responding, she pressed her lips back against his only to let out another yelp when he rolled them over with him on top. He took her lips once more and they spent that summer day by the fields of flower, content with one another._

**Flash** : _"Vilandra, what are you doing?" asked Rath just before she blasted him to death._

**Flash** : _"Please, you don't have to do this. You're my sister. I'll forgive you if you come back to me," pleaded Zan, hoping to sway her away from Khivar's hold.  
_

 _With eyes of black, she responded, "I have no_ family _. A_ family _doesn't ask their loved one to choose between them and their boyfriend. A_ family _doesn't banish their boyfriends from the planet! No, I don't have a_ family _. I only have Khivar." With eyes of black, she lifted her hand and an army of men rushed past her._

**Flash** : _The screams and cries of Antarians filled the air as the two sides—who was good or bad, no one knew—fought in a bloody battle. Flashes of light were blinding everyone. Fire sprayed through the air like rain. The blood soaked Antar, turning its waters from crimson to a muddy red, polluting its once clean waters._

In mid-kiss, a voice, which oddly sounded like her own, called out from the darkness. "Isabel, Isabel! Wake up, Isabel!" She felt her body jerk up and then her eyes snapped open. Quickly grabbing onto whatever was holding her, she let out a scream.

"Yo, Isabel, it's meh, Lon'!" Lonnie said, shaking Isabel from her trance. She noticed her twin's eyes—something she knew all too well herself.

"My name is Vilandra," growled Isabel, struggling to get away from her dupe.

Lonnie gritted her teeth, ignoring the urge to scoff. How many times had she called that name for herself? "Vilandra, mah ass," she spitted. Her hand drew back and came down on Isabel's cheek, leaving nothing but angry red finger prints, and the pins and needles sensation on her twin's face. It wasn't anger that made Lonnie slap Isabel; it was the only thing she knew that would snap her out of it and it worked because slowly the black faded away from her eyes.

As Isabel's eyes focused on what appeared to be her room and saw her twin in front of her, she placed one hand over her mouth with the other on her flushed cheek and let out a small cry. It had only been a dream. It had only been a dream! But it felt so real. She could remember the sensation of him pressed up against her. In fact, she still felt it. She felt everything. The smell of burnt flesh haunted her senses. The screams rang in her ears.

"Izz, it's jus' a dream," said Lonnie, brushing Isabel's bangs away from her face. She had been downstairs grabbing a drink in the kitchen when she heard a scream. Rushing up to Isabel's room, she found her thrashing on the bed, sobbing. "Tell me, Isabel. I gots all the time ya need," she said, offering her the cup of water but not before taking a sip herself.

Thanking Lonnie, Isabel drank down half the glass and tried to will her body to calm down. "It's not the first time this has happened. It's always of the same thing over and over again, but this time, it was different. It was just the strangest and scariest dream. It was like it was me, but it wasn't me. I was doing these things I had no control over, like it was me, but… it was me. The whole thing just felt really… dangerous and erotic. And there was this man, this familiar man."

Sounding all too familiar to Lonnie, she fearfully asked, "Was his name Khivar?"

Gasping, Isabel asked, "How did you know? Do you know him? Exactly who is he to us?"

Lonnie frowned and brushed Isabel's hair once again. "Khivar was our lover back on Antar. Our families were enemies, but when we saw each otha at a par-tay, we fell head ova heels. We were actually resistant against him for a while, but the man is a smooth talker. We pleaded for him not to, but he kissed me, kissed us, and dat was it. From den on, we's were together. We woulda done anythin' for each otha, and we did. Had it bad for him, we did, and we sold out our family. We're da ones wit' blood on our hands. We're da ones dat got everybody captured, killed. Vilandra, she was the Benedict Arnold."

"How do you know all of this?"

"'Cause I rememba it. 'Cause he came to meh too. It's dis demon we carry 'round inside of us.

"He came to you? Like he is doing with me?"

"Only I wasn't da Vilandra he wanted. It was you. I was da defective."

"Oh god," whispered Isabel as she placed her hand over her mouth once again. "I can feel her inside of me. She's still there. She loves Khivar. _I_ love Khivar."

"No, no, ya don't!" said Lonnie, gripping Isabel's arms.

Wildly shaking her head, Isabel croaked out, "Vilandra does. She wants control. She wants to go back. God, I hate her! I hate what she did!"

"You's Isabel Evans, not Vilandra, Princess of Antar. She gone. She died a long time ago. You's Isabel and you's in love wit' dork-boy. Ya can control 'er. She ain't controllin' ya. Trust me, I beat da Vilandra inside of me. This is why he's movin' onto ya."

"I'm too weak. I don't know how to stop myself."

"Don't cha worry. I'll teach ya. I mastered the technique on how to block Khivar out of mah mind. I'll teach ya." Weakly smiling, Isabel thanked her. "Don't worry 'bout it, _sis_ ," Lonnie said with a smile. Isabel could only hug her.

* * *

**March 17, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Isabel sat in front of Alex, completely entranced with the drink in front of her. She was carelessly manipulating the drink, going back and forth from a Sprite to a Dr. Pepper. Alex took in the tired look on her face. In his eyes, she was still beautiful but he knew something was wrong.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Hmm?" grunted Isabel, snapping her eyes up to him.

"I know something is bothering you."

She half-smiled. "I'm fine, Alex."

"If you were, you wouldn't be risking your life in a crowded place such as this," he said, referring to the Crashdown. "Someone is bound to see your drink go from clear to brown. Unless you have a license of magic, I don't know how you will get yourself out of that one because even I can't help you."

She sighed, a little aggravated that she couldn't hide anything from him. He was Alex and he pined after her, and he knew every single detail about her despite her never revealing anything to him. Not to mention, he watched her in that stalker kind of way.

"Have you ever wanted to be someone different?" she asked.

"Every damn day," he replied.

"No, I mean… Have you ever felt like you were someone different while trapped in your own body?"

"Umm, Isabel, you're not really making much sense."

"Alex, there's something inside me."

"Something like an alien ready to burst out of you, mate with me, and then kill me? Because I can dig it—the mating part that is, not so much the killing or eating me part."

"You watch too many movies, Alex. How could you even compare me to _Species_?"

"I'm sorry. It's just… you're being so cryptic! I mean, you're talking about having something inside of you."

"Forget it."

"No, tell me," he said, placing his hand over hers.

"I feel like there's someone else inside me, someone I don't like."

"We all have something inside of us that we don't like. We just have to learn to accept the fact that there is something everyone is flawed with, learn to fight it, and move on."

"But it might not be so easy for my case."

"It never is," he smiled but then frowned when he realized this wasn't the best time to be teasing her. "Look, Isabel, no matter what, I'm here for you. We're all flawed somehow. I mean, I would give anything to look like… I don't know, Johnny Depp, or give anything to be this less nerdy because I really wish the computer wouldn't speak my language."

"Alex," stated Isabel, getting annoyed.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that no one likes themselves, ever. I'm sure even Maria knows she talks too much. Basically, we have to move past the flaws and focus on the person we are today. Who we are today is what matters."

"Focus on the person we are today," she repeated his words.

"Exactly."

Isabel sighed. He was right. She had to focus on the person she was today, not the person she was however many years ago. She took his hand and smiled, happy to have Alex in her life. He was quirky, a nerd, and not exactly someone of her popularity would be dating, but somehow he knew exactly what to say even if his advice didn't really fit perfectly with her problems.

"Umm, Isabel?"

"Yeah, Alex?"

"Just to make sure… you don't have a _Species_ in you, do you?"

"ALEX!" exclaimed Isabel, pulling her hands away.

"Joke, joke! I'm just joking! I'll still love you if you do. Just don't kill me."

Isabel rolled her eyes all the while ignoring the heat on her now flushed cheeks at his Freudian-slipped proclamation of love.

* * *

**March 18, 2001, Sunday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Snoring lightly, Kyle was having the most amazing dream of his life. While meditating, his master congratulated him on achieving physical and spiritual peace. Months of breathing, pushing all thoughts from his mind, and doing good helped him understand what Buddha had been trying to teach his followers for centuries. As his reward, Buddha had offered Ava to him on literally a silver platter. What a reward she was! Dressed in a gold two-piece bikini, she winked at him as she flicked her straight blonde, pink-streaked hair over her bare shoulders.

"Come here, stud," she seductively said, batting her long eyelashes at him as her hand reached to untie the halter straps.

Just as he reached for her, just as the top fell from her, the alarm clock came to life, breaking him out of his drool-worthy dream. Groaning as the sun peeked out of the sides of the window curtains, he groaned painfully at the loss of the dream. He cupped himself and willed Kyle (big) Junior to calm down. Accepting that he was back in the real world, he rolled out of bed and landed on the floor. Immediately he began to do some pushups to get rid of his pent up sexual frustration. How long had it been since Kyle got some? Way too long. It wasn't healthy for a growing teenage boy. He needed to get laid and now.

"1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6…" he panted as he counted each pushup. As his body rushed up and down, his arm muscles flexed with hard curves like the mountains, His leg muscles tightened as his abs became visible. His bangs fell over his eyes as he pumped up and down. He breathed out with a few grunts here and there as his body flowed like a well oiled machine.

Then the doorbell ring. Collapsing to the ground to catch his breath, he groaned as his muscles burned. The doorbell rang several more times. Realizing his father wasn't going to get it, he reluctantly got up and strolled out of his room to the door. As soon as he opened it, in mid-yawn, he immediately regretted it and froze.

Ava tried to put on her best, if not slightly fake, smile, but it came easily to her as she was greeted with a half-naked Kyle. Her smile was no longer fake, but of pure joy. Her lips cracked open to reveal a toothy grin. Taking in his strong muscular build, her eyes roamed across his body, taking in the strong legs, the rippled abs, and the slight tenting in his boxers. She felt a tingling sensation between her legs and bit her lower lip. "Good mornin', Kyle!" she said cheerfully.

"AVA!" Kyle said in surprise. She was the last person he was expecting to see, especially after the dream he had of her only mere minutes ago. Suddenly, he felt very naked as the breeze hit his bare chest. Looking down, he realized he was dressed only in his boxers.

"Calvin Klein," she breathed out as her fingers trailed down his smooth chest and snapped his waistband. "I approve." Letting herself in, she took in the semi-pigsty of the place. It screamed of a typical man's home. Nothing impressive, but it was better than the dump she had lived in. It did seem cozy though, like a place you could just sit back and kick your legs onto the coffee table.

"Ava, not that I'm not happy to see you, because I am, I really am, but what are you doing here?" he asked, grabbing a couch pillow and trying to desperately cover himself with it. _Should I cover my chest or my lower area_ , he thought. If he covered his lower area, his nipples would be visible. If he covered his chest, Kyle Junior would want to come out and play. He settled on grabbing two pillows and holding it awkwardly down his body.

"I was lookin' for Tess. She here?" Ava had come by the Valentis with a mission and that mission did not involve a half-naked Kyle, not that she minded anyway. She felt Tess was so different from her and especially these past weeks, she felt something about her change. Tess seemed cold and emotionless while Ava was compassionate and caring (when she wanted to be). She didn't understand how the other dupes and their twins were so similar—Rath's and Michael's taste in music and movies, Lonnie and Isabel bonding, Zan's and Max's stubborn headedness and apparent love for Liz—while she and Tess were as if different people. She had come over here to find Tess and talk with her, hoping to finally bond somehow, but when Kyle answered the door, her mission had flown out of her head and into the garbage can.

"No, I think she went to the market. Umm, is there anything else I can help you with?"

Ignoring his question, she began to snoop around his home before stumbling into his room. _So this is where Kyle lives and sleeps_ , she thought. She sat down on his bed and wondered what the typical day was like in Kyle's shoes. His room was simple—a dresser, a mirror, a desk, a computer, a bed, and a closet. Oh, and the typical male poster of a half-naked Jessica Alba graced his wall. She pictured that he constantly worked out in his room and possibly even invited a few ladies over. Kyle was a good-looking man. She would find it odd if he never had a girl over.

Kyle felt uncomfortable. Only a moment ago, he was dreaming about mauling her with his body and now she was sitting on his bed, looking sexy and innocent all at the same time if that was even possible. He wondered how Ava would react if he suddenly jumped her in bed. Clutching the pillow closer to his lower body, he prayed for his over-excited organ to go away. While she surveyed his room, he quickly grabbed some pajama pants and slipped them on. Ava was saddened to see the boxers disappear. She could tell he was quite gifted in _that_ department. She wondered how he would feel if she suddenly made his pants and boxes transparent (unknown to his knowledge, of course).

Bending over, she searched under his bed. She knew Rath and Zan kept their stash of porn under their beds back at home so she assumed it was a guy thing. Ah-ha! "Buddhism for Beginners," she said to herself as she read the cover. Pulling out the rest of the items, she laughed. "Kyle, how ya think Buddha feels 'bout bein' sandwiched between Hustler and Busty Biker Babes?"

Quickly grabbing them out of her hand and shoving them back under his bed, he nervously said with darting eyes, "They're not mine. They're Michael's. He just keeps them here because of Maria. You know Maria—she's a killer with stiletto shoes."

"Liar," she chuckled. "Kind of uptight 'bout nudity, aren't ya, for someone who reads Jugs?"

He shook his head and waved his hands. "No, no, not me. I don't like any of that. I don't look at such... such filth. I'm all one hundred percent porno-free! Yep, that's me—porno-free!"

She smiled. "Don't worry. I'm more of a Club kind of girl."

Once those words left her mouth, Kyle knew he was going to marry her one day. What girl admits to liking a certain porno magazine? None, that's what! "I love you." he blurted out.

Laughing nervously, she said, "W-what?"

"Sorry, I—I didn't mean that."

"Oh," she said disappointed as she looked at anywhere else besides Kyle. She didn't love him. She was hoping more of a few fucks here and there, but scary thing was she could see herself with him years from now. She could see herself loving him down the road. He was cute in that dorky way, and his body… Wow, his body!

"No, I mean… I do love you. No, I mean, I don't love you. I—… Oh god, this is coming out all wrong," he said, rubbing his sweaty hands against his pant leg.

She found his awkwardness cute and tilted her head at him. "Relax, Kyle. I like ya too." She held back her laughter when she saw Kyle breathe out in relief that she understood what he meant and broke out in a smile when she confessed to him that she liked him. Realizing he was not going to make any moves, she decided to be the first. Slowly grazing her fingers from his arm to his shoulder and curled around his neck, she pulled him to her.

Rubbing her nose against his, Kyle nervously stuttered out, "I—I—I feel all this energy coming from you right now. In— In order to trim the lamp of wisdom, we must attend to our bod— bodily ne— needs." God, he had been around Alex too much. He had developed the nervous stuttering and ranting.

She had no clue what he was blabbering on about or why he would suddenly quote from the scriptures of Buddha. Not that she wouldn't mind hearing some more, even if she didn't understand any of it, she was more focused on other more important things at the moment. Brushing her lips lightly against the side of his mouth, she teasingly whispered, "Let me tell ya somethin', Budda-boy… I got a lamp dat needs some serious trimmin'."

As their lips were just a breath's away from each other, just as they were about to finally kiss, Tess barged into the room. "Kyle! Help me with the groceries!" Groaning in frustration, they broke apart, looking as innocent as they could be. "Ava, hey, what are you doing here?" asked the ugly twin.

"I was 'bout to get mah lamp trimmed, but ya ruined it," Ava spitted out angrily.

"Huh? Lamp trimming? What's that?"

"Neva mind, gerbil. I'll see ya 'round, Buddha-boy," Ava said. "We'll finish trimmin' mah lamp later."

"Right," he said with a smile. "I'll keep my equipment on the ready!" Once she left, Kyle could only fall back down onto his bed, groaning as his erection dug a hole into his mattress all the while ignoring Tess and her screechy voice.

* * *

On Ava's way back to the Crashdown, she was lost in thought. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting why she went over to the Valentis in the first place—to talk with Tess, but as soon as she had Kyle in his lack of dress state, all coherent thoughts flew out of her head. She was attracted to Kyle, she knew that. She had never loved Zan like that. Sure, they had sex before, but in the end, they felt they were more like siblings than lovers. She chuckled to herself for liking a cornball. Out of all the people, she had to end up with the Sheriff's boy who is a jock and a Buddha-follower. God, if anyone had told her she'd fall for this type of guy, she would've laughed and punched that person for making up a ridiculous lie.

Once she saw Liz in the café, she asked, "Liz, can I ask ya a qt?"

Liz ripped the scribbled order from the order pad and began to hand it to the cook. "Yeah, sure, Ava. Shoot."

"I heard ya slept wit' Kyle."

"Oh… Uhhh, yeah," responded Liz nervously. What was Ava planning on asking her? Did Ava find out? Did Kyle tell her? She tried not to panic.

"How was he?" asked Ava. Liz swore an anvil had been lifted off her shoulders once again. There seemed to be a lot of that lately.

"Oh… I… Umm… Errr," she said. She felt like she was going through a list of vocalic pauses. How was she supposed to respond to that? But sensing that Kyle and Ava liked each other, she replied not too painfully, "It was great."

With a huge smile, Ava said, "Noted." Just as she was about to leave Liz, she pulled her to her side and whispered into her ear, "I always felt like Zan was waiting for someone else to walk into his life. I think he was waiting for you." Liz burst into a smile while Ava went upstairs to relieve the ache she felt in between her legs, leaving Liz dazed but happy throughout her day.


	28. Chapter 24

_Lucifer, you can follow me around.  
We'd speak of a language of our own._

" **I Wish You'd Fall Apart," People In Planes**.

* * *

**March 23, 2001, Friday; Arizona.**

Khivar scrunched up his nose at the filth on the planet known as Earth. He could not even imagine how the pathetic humans lived on such a planet as this. Or even how life was created here—it seemed virtually impossible. It was completely barbaric, medieval, and pollution-filled. When he had stepped off the ship that had landed in Arizona, he was horrified by all the dirt and dust, not to mention the garbage that lay around his feet. It must've been the bacteria that spawned life. Yes, that theory seemed to fit. Humans were disgusting parasites; just cattle meant to be herded by rulers such as he.

Immediately breathing in the air as soon as he stepped off, he felt like he was choking or being smothered alive with some dirty cloth that had been used to wipe the sweat of the servants. The air had the smell of someone who had not bathed in days. He could not believe humans were driving grounded vehicles whereas on his planet, they used aircrafts for the majority of their travelling and small grounded vehicles for short trips. He watched as humans wider than his width size pass him by, carelessly throwing their daily filth to the ground. Men hacked up the phlegm their bodies created and spitted them carelessly on the ground. Women lazily smacked some non-dissolvable candy and shot it out of their mouths like a cannon ball.

Khivar's face scrunched up as he watched the humans gorge on greasy foods that seemed to pile onto the lower areas of their bodies. He was less than pleased and already longed to be back on his home planet, Antar. At least their food was healthy and fancier than the human's cheeseburgers and pizza. Antarians were fit and lean, not wide like their vehicles. Their waters were a deep red rather than a murky green. Their sky a mixture of swirling midnight blues and purples whereas Earth's sky was sky blue in the day and pitch black at night. The size of the moon from here was laughable. It was too small. On Antar, the moon filled up half of the sky and lit up the night. The air was cool and crisp like it had just rained, as well as sweet like flowers that had just bloomed. Their ground was covered by rich green grass and no one threw their trash to the ground. When compared to Earth, Antar was by far the best.

Rarely did Khivar make an appearance. For his own safety's sake, he chose to inhabit human bodies to do whatever he pleased, but when he found out that one of the royal four members was on his side, he knew he had to show up. Khivar was not an ugly man nor was he a coward. In fact, he was quite the opposite. With the help of alien powers and good DNA, he had not aged too greatly. He looked well into his early fourties. With broad shoulders and enough muscle to show through each clothing piece, he had dark brown hair with a few strands of dusty blonde. With cold blue eyes that seemed to borderline on capturing you and holding you in a dead stare, he had a strong jaw and straight nose. He dressed well, suited like royalty, and had the manners of a royal breed. He was strict, merciless, and intelligent. He had the appearance of someone of money and power, and he _was_ that someone.

Khivar was not some random madman who hungered for money and power. Originally, his intentions had been for the greater good. He was just another politician, disagreeing with the ways of his government. He wanted to help the people of Antar. He spoke out against the royal four, stating why they should be the ones living in wealth when many were in poverty. He spoke of how the government was not doing their jobs properly. Obviously putting the royal family to shame, he was banished by them and Khivar vowed to bring them down. When his family and friends turned their back on him, he vowed to enslave them all. His kindness had turned to hate. It consumed him till he was left a cold shell. He went from writing poetry to enjoying the pain of others. He went from helping others to robbing them blind.

On the run, he spoke his beliefs, gathering the weak-minded who were willing to do his bidding. Soon, he had an army. They were not the smartest, but they were willing to die for him. That was enough for him. Soon, out of fear, people joined his side because he was gaining popularity. It was either join him or die because their government was unsuccessful on catching one man. He mocked their government. How could they be proud of their leaders when they could not catch just one man, just one Antarian? Khivar went through cities, burning and destroying everything in his site if the people had not joined him. His army grew and grew, thus his power grew practically overnight.

Now smiling with confidence, he greeted Nasedo who had kneeled before him. "Nasedo, how long has it been since I last saw you? Forty years ago?"

"Yes, my lord. I trust your trip was safe and well?"

"Well enough for a human or a servant, not for me. The pilot should be hung. Enough of that; who is this member of the royal four that you bring me? Could it be… Vilandra?" Khivar felt something stir inside of him. It had been too long ago since he held Vilandra in her arms and kissed her full rosy lips. Her current state was not as bad from the images he composed of her, but she was far more beautiful in her true state back on Antar. She had long true blonde hair that put the sun to shame. Her eyes were crystal blue like his, but they seemed like endless pools. How he had missed her. She always filled him with such calmness and happiness. Khivar was not a cruel man unless provoked but whenever she was around, he became close to a bumbling idiot.

It was because of Vilandra he had been successful in attacking the royal palace. He never expected to meet her nor did he plan on using her. Right before his banishment, he had the pleasure and lucky chance of meeting her at the ball. He found her sitting in the gardens, staring up at the night sky with a flower in her hand. She was truly an astonishing sight. He felt his heart skip a beat when her face came into his sight. A simple conversation led to letters that spoke of their love. But he was soon banished and forced to go into hiding. With secret locations, they met, made love, and parted as if they had never met before. Vilandra tried to get the banishment lifted, but her brother would not listen. In times like these, love was greater than blood. She soon began to agree with Khivar's beliefs and vowed to help her lover bring down her family, a family that was so opposed to their love.

**Flashback** : _"Vilandra, my love, will you be by my side when we take down the royal family, your family? Will you love me after this?" he asked. He did not want to lose her yet he wanted to destroy Antar. He was so torn apart._ _"I will stand by you forever, no matter what you do. All I ask is you never stop loving me," she said, pressing her sweet lips against his._

_It was enough for him. He held her in his arms and looked out at his soldiers. It was now or nothing. Tonight would the night that decided their fate. Clutching her hand to his chest, he yelled, "ATTACK!"_

"Who is this person you bring me? Is it Vilandra?" Khivar asked once again.

"No, my lord," said Nasedo, standing up. He signaled for the guard to bring the person in. "It is Tess, my lord, also known as Ava on Antar."

"Ava? Queen Ava? Is she not Zan's wife?"

"Yes, my lord."

"And she is willing to betray her husband?"

"Her husband is infatuated with a human girl. He does not care for her."

Khivar wanted to laugh at the absurdity. King Zan was in love with a human? Oh, he could picture the horrified faces of the people who longed for the royal four to take the throne once again. Truly, what a disappointment—a member of the royal family chose to turn his back on his ancestors and be with someone other than his specie. This was their king. Then his eyebrow rose as Ava walked in.

"My lord," she said, kneeling before him.

"Oh, you may stand up, Queen Ava, for you are royalty," he said with a smirk.

She stood up and straightened her clothes. "Please call me by my Earth name, Tess, my lord."

His eyebrow jumped up. Queen Ava rather be called by such a ghastly name, _Tess_ , than her true name? Had Earth corrupted their royal bringing? "Then Tess, tell me, why do you betray your husband and family so? What are your reasons?"

"Max, once known as Zan, is not fit to be king," she said, scowling. "He is a pathetic boy who does not see what is in front of him. He is weak and a child." Tess hated Max with all her heart. She hated him for looking so gorgeous and making her fall in love with him. She hated him for loving Liz. Most of all, she hated him for rejecting her. She was royalty, his wife, and he had just thrown her aside like she was some peasant. No, she would not stand for that. He had to pay. As she took in Khivar's physique, she found him to be quite attractive. His rigid body frame told her of his confidence and power. Batting her eyelashes at him, "My lord, I find you to be more suitable and over qualified… in _all_ areas."

He smiled as he picked up on her flirting. It was bold of her and he liked it. She was cute—blonde curls, eyes as angry as his, and a pale petite curvy body. She looked like she would please him well in bed. He still loved Vilandra, but he wasn't going to give up bedding women in her absence. He was still a man after all. Ignoring the image of how red Tess's skin would turn when he took her, he asked, "And I assume you are not going to betray them for nothing?"

"I want power. I want money. I want to see them die and be protected under your wing." She glanced over at her protector who nodded in approval of her demands.

"Power and money, I have," Khivar said, taking out a gold coin from his pocket and showing it to her face. "I will protect you and if you do your mission well, you may get to see the royal three die."

Nasedo clenched his fist and said, "My lord, it is not just the royal three. The defects are in Roswell as well. They have joined together."

Khivar narrowed his eyes at him. "Why was I not informed of this earlier?"

"My lord, they came suddenly and I was not aware of their intentions till recently," said Nasedo, lowering his eyes in submission.

"Nasedo, you are extremely lucky you are my inside connection to the royal three and the royal defects," Khivar sneered. "Tess, you will seduce Max and have his child. Your child will bring him down to his knees."

Tess tried not to show the surprise on her face. Khivar wanted her to have Max's child? The plan did not appeal to her at all. First, Max was in love with Liz. How would she get him to sleep with her? She can't exactly stumble on his dick and expect him to suddenly forget about the human. Second, she would have to get pregnant? And ruin her perfect body? No, she was not looking forward to this plan, but she couldn't oppose her leader. "And what of the defects?" she asked.

Laughing evilly, he responded, "Their time will soon come. Do not worry, they will all die."


	29. Chapter 25

[just music, no lyrics]

" **From The Valley To The Stars," El Perro Del Mar**.

* * *

**March 31, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

She could do it.

 _I can do this_ , she thought as she gripped the sides of her cardigan to her body. _I_ can _do this._

The silence was deafening. It was as if there was a microphone placed in front of her; the crowd waiting to listen to what she could have to say. She could kill for there to be music playing in the background or perhaps have plates shattering, not that plates wouldn't already shatter when she told the truth. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears as the beating organ threatened to explode out of her chest and land on the floor. Her right eye twitched as if it was already sensing a future slap to her face. Her cheeks flushed with such heat that she swore she had been sitting in a sauna for a whole day.

 _I can do this. I can definitely do this. I_ can _do this._

She had told one person already, so in a way, she had experience. Chewing on her lower lip and lowering her lashes, she stared at the smooth wooden floor. The typical saying at this point was, "I wish the floor would just swallow me up whole," but not for her. Right now, she wanted to be vacuumed into the ground where she would then be thrown into Hell. Yes, Hell seemed like paradise right now. Maybe thrown into a black hole. Anything would be better than what she was about to do.

No matter what she told herself, no matter how much she psyched herself up, she could barely get the words out. Every time she thought she was going to speak, all that came out was a squeak or a hoarse gasp. Her mouth dropped open only to shut quickly, making a thud noise as her bottom teeth collided with the upper.

She turned away from the watching eyes and bit into her pale fist. She wanted to scream out in frustration, but she didn't want to let people think she was having a breakdown. Instead, she looked up at the ceiling as if heaven was being revealed to her. She was muttering slightly to herself when she felt his strong hand on her lower back. His touch made her shiver while calming her down at the same time. She felt heat spread from his hand and smiled, knowing he was sending her comfort. That one single hand on her back—he was telling her that he was there for her, that he would be there for her no matter what happened. She took a deep mouthful of air and swung around to face the crowd.

_I can and will do this._

"I'm pregnant," said Liz as she sighed in a mixture of relief and horror. Relief for that the weight that had been on her shoulders for many months was finally lifted. Horror because now that the words were out, she could no longer take it back, and hide it as a secret. She had admit it to herself—that in fact, she was pregnant. _Pregnant_ , she thought. _I have a tiny child growing inside this tiny stomach and in a few months, he or she will be here in my skinny quivering arms._

Liz wasn't sure what she feared most—the loss of her family and friends, the loss of all her dreams, the safety of the child, or bringing up a baby who did not belong here. This child did not belong in this time, but it didn't belong in the future either. A baby made of both the past/present and future—this child will be special, but the question is: how special? Will it be completely human or will it be an alien? Will it look like her or will it look like Zan, or would it be a perfect blend? Would it be healthy or sickly because of the mix of different DNAs? Would it be of normal intelligence or would it be just as smart as the aliens? Would it have powers?

She pictured a dark brown haired chubby-cheeked baby with amber eyes like Zan's, a small nose like hers, a smile that rivaled Zan's own toothy grin (she hoped the baby would never learn how to smirk like Zan though), and hopefully her ears rather than Zan's. That was her baby, her perfect little baby. She could almost hear its giggles.

When the world finally processed the truth, she quickly ducked when a glass cup exploded behind her. With motherly instinct, she covered her stomach with her hands. All her thoughts and questions flew out of her mind. She knew she was, in layman's terms, screwed.

"You're WHAT?" her friends screamed in unison. They all shook their head at her and began to yell. They couldn't believe Liz Parker was pregnant. _Liz Parker_ was pregnant! It was as if she had told them the world was ending in an hour. Their faces went red, their lips went dry, their throats hoarse, and their eyes wide open to take in the full panoramic view as if they were searching for the truth.

Maria dropped the cedar oil bottle she had been profusely sniffing onto the table and reached into her pocket where she began to pour droplets of grapefruit relief liquid under her tongue. She downed the whole bottle, trying to wake up from this wacky dream she was having. She was muttering something about her not knowing and how her best friend was even pregnant.

"Please tell me you're joking, Liz," said Alex with wide eyes.

"Not joking," she said, opening the long cardigan to reveal her growing stomach and was ready to duck if something else decided to explode. Nope, nothing else broke.

As soon as her belly was shown, everyone's heads whipped towards Kyle. They all stared at him, wondering… Everyone had the same question in their heads. If Liz was pregnant and she had slept with Kyle not too long ago, did this mean…

Michael leered at the ex-jock. "Is it Kyle's?" he asked, sending a glare worthy of causing death. Liz was his non-blood-related little sister; he cared.

Kyle held back a squeak at the sudden evil look his friend gave him. He was so shocked because one minute, Michael's face had been of shock and suddenly, it seemed as if he had armed himself with a machine gun, ready to hunt him down. Kyle knew he couldn't be the father considering he never actually slept with Liz, but with that look, he might as well have!

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," muttered Kyle while waving his hand in protest. "It's definitely not mine!"

Maria gasped in horror. Considering Maria's family history, what angered her the most was men who did not stick around for their children. "Kyle, take responsibility!" cried Maria. "You can't expect to knock up my best friend and say it's not yours! You _slept_ with her! Suck it up, get a job, and start supporting this baby!"

"No, Maria, it's not mine!" he cried in protest.

"Say it again, buddy, because even though you're my friend, I will make sure you can never reproduce ever again!" she yelled, lunging at him.

"I'll help!" shouted Michael, trying to grab a hold of Kyle's shirt.

"Maria!" screamed Kyle, standing up on the booth-seat and jumping over to the next empty booth. "I never slept with Liz! Tell her, Liz, tell her!"

"What? What do you mean you never slept with her?" asked Maria.

"Liz?" asked Alex, completely confused now.

"It's true. We, Kyle and I, never slept together," replied Liz.

"Then? How do you explain being pregnant?" asked Alex.

"I didn't know you were seeing someone else!" said Isabel, scrunching up her forehead.

"I'm not. I mean, I wasn't. I—oh, this is hard to explain," Liz said. She had tried to answer Isabel only to end up muttering to herself. Surprisingly, Max remained silent so far.

"Angel, tell 'em," said Zan, poking her side.

"Zan, I—" she began to say.

"Tell us what?" Michael asked, suspicious.

Rath, Lonnie, and Ava just sat back and listened. They were shocked as well, but it was Liz's life. They weren't going to go crazy on her like her other friends were. They had seen enough pregnant teenagers in New York to be freaked out. But putting two and two together, they knew she and Zan were an item.

"She bangin' Zan," said a smiling Rath with a catcall. "And damn, they banged HARD!"

For the dupes, it was no secret that they were together. It was only a matter of time it would happen. Zan loved Liz, no matter if she was from the present or future. And if Future-Liz learned to love Zan, than present Liz would too. He saw how they constantly looked at each other, a mixture of wanting to hurt the other and to kiss the other with passion.

"So Zan, yer dick broke yet 'cause ya must've fucked her pretty damn good." Rath burst out in laughter when he saw Zan and Liz both send him death glares. "I mean, damn Duke, I knew you had it in ya to fuck a girl good, but damn… ya must've had her in all positions tah get her all fertilized and shit."

"You're WHAT?" Maria yelled, frustrated that her grapefruit bottle was empty. "You're what? You're what? WHAT?!"

"Calm down, Maria," Liz said, emphasizing her words with her hands.

"No, Liz, I'm not going to calm down. I didn't know you were seeing him much less sleeping with him! You never told me, and now you're telling me you're pregnant? As in you have a freaking-baby-in-your-stomach pregnant?! AND AN ALIEN BABY?!" she yelled.

Alex tried to cover Maria's mouth as he spoke calmly over Maria's yelling. "When did you start seeing Zan?"

"Alex, do not cover my mouth when I'm yelling!" Maria shouted as she kicked him in the shin.

Truth be told, Liz wasn't really sure herself of when she started to date Zan. They were together all the time already. They went out to eat and see movies like normal friends, but they didn't acknowledge them as dates. They were just spending time together, having fun. Sometimes they kissed a little and sometimes they didn't. They continued to hang out like good friends with benefits. Then Liz started to freak out. Were they together? Or was she some sort of fling to him? Some replacement for Future-Liz? Some girl on the side for Zan to play with? Some—

"Not too long ago," Zan replied, seeing that Liz was questioning their status.

Then Max finally spoke up. "Zan's the father?" He wanted to hear it from Liz herself. He knew of what Liz had done with men. He wanted to hear it from her lips.

Liz stumbled a bit. "Hah, umm, uhhh, errrr…" She was going through the list of vocalic pauses to fill time while she thought of the answer. Zan was the father, but she was already too far along for her to be carrying his child—the time he came and the months of her pregnancy didn't match up.

Zan then threw his arm over her shoulder, protectively. "I am."

Then all the sugar containers in the café exploded. "Control your freaking powers, guys! God, I have to clean this mess up later!" cried Liz as the sugar grains covered almost every table. What she didn't know was it was all caused by one alien named Max.

"But Liz, you look too far along to be pregnant with his child," Maria said, pointing at the noticeable bump. It was because of the growing bump that forced Liz to tell everyone she was pregnant. If the bump had remained small and hidden by her overlarge shirts, she would've kept it a secret for as long as she could, but she couldn't hide it anymore. It felt almost as a relief to let people know she was pregnant. Zan knew, but she still felt alone.

"Uhhh, it might be an alien thing," Liz lied, "for the fetus to grow a little faster than normal human babies." She relaxed when they bought it the explanation. None of them had ever been impregnated by an alien before. What did they know? They had no knowledge about it.

Maria, who finally processed all the information, stood up, squealed, and ran over to Liz. She embraced her with a laugh. "Oh my god, you're pregnant! You're going to have the cutest child everrrrrrr and I'm gonna be Auntie 'Ria!"

Liz made a face in surprise that her best friend suddenly went from stark raving mad to being excited for her. "Maria!" Liz laughed out as she felt Kyle and Alex embrace her as well. Everyone congratulated her; everyone except Max who remained silent and lost.

* * *

"How can you be pregnant with _his_ child?" Max angrily asked, running his fingers through his short hair. He had been the one that made anything that could break explode. He may have looked calm and blank, but inside, he was boiling like an angry volcano. How else was he supposed to be feeling? The love of his life was now with his replacement and she was now carrying the twin's child. It wasn't his child, it wasn't him that she was with. He didn't know what angered him more at this point.

Liz winced at the anger of his voice. She knew he would be angry. If not when she had told the group, but later and now was the later. Max was always more confrontational alone. He had grabbed her and dragged her to her room after everyone had congratulated her and calmed down from the news. Zan was ready to go after them, but Liz knew she and Max needed to talk, so she told him she would be fine and asked him to stay downstairs.

"Look, Max, I—"

"No, Liz! How can you?"

"How can I what?"

"Be with someone like—like _him_!"

She scrunched up her forehead in confusion and disbelief. "Like _him_? What is that suppose to mean?"

"He's trash, Liz. Why don't you see this? He used you and he's going to dump you!"

Liz scoffed. "Max, did you _not_ see Zan admit he was the father to everyone? I don't think that's him dumping me. He's taking responsibility!"

"He's not right for you!"

"Not right for me? He treats me the way I deserve to be treated. He cares for me, Max!"

"Does he love you?"

"Does he what?" she asked in disbelief.

"Does he love you like I do?"

Liz scoffed again but this time in frustration. In the end, no matter what happened, it always came down to her and Max. But did Zan love her? She had a feeling, but it was too soon to tell. She knew he loved Future-Liz, but did he love _her_? She didn't know. They never even got that far. She only just found out they were a couple practically a few minutes ago. "Max, it doesn't matter. I love him," she admitted.

Growling in anger, he responded, "Tell me, Liz. Does he love you like I do?"

"Max, stop it! You and I—we're not together anymore. You can't just bring up 'us' whenever you feel like it."

"No, Liz. That's where you're wrong. It has always been about 'us.'"

"It isn't, Max! Why can't you see that? We're not together anymore!"

"I still love you," he said, reaching for her.

"Yeah, that was some love from you when you called me a slut!" she said, moving away from his hands.

His hand flew to his temple, trying to massage the throbbing pain away. He tried to remain calm, but this headache made him so angry. Too many thoughts were hounding him, not to mention that his heart was being stabbed to a bloody mess. His head was going to explode, but instead, his mouth did it for him.

"I didn't mean it. God, Liz! What did you expect from me? You took off for the summer, leaving me behind like I was nothing to you. Like I didn't matter, like I didn't have a say. We were not a one-sided relationship, Liz. I had a say! Did you think about what I wanted? Did you honestly think I wanted to be with someone like Tess? God, Liz, you know I love you and only you! I've always told you that we made our own destinies! That my destiny was with you, not some stupid wish my so-called parents had for me. But no, instead, you ran away from me, from us, and did god-knows-what. You ran away from this relationship because you were too scared to face the fact that we would have problems. We could've worked them out! And when you come back, you jump into bed with _Kyle_? You cheated on me! Now that was some love from you! To get over it in _one_ summer, just a matter of two months, it's—… And now, I find out you're pregnant and the father is my twin? My twin, Liz! My carbon copy! My so-called replacement! I can only take so much. I'm part-human too, you know!"

She bit into her lower lip, not caring if she would draw blood or not. He was hurting just as much as she was. It was wrong of her to find happiness when he was still so much in pain; it was wrong of her to flaunt it in his face. Truth was she didn't get it over in one summer. She spent the whole time thinking about him, but obviously she couldn't tell him this. "I know, Max. I know and I'm sorry for that. This isn't how I wanted things to turn out."

He looked away, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply. When he finally looked at her, his lower lip quivered as his eyes filled with tears. It was supposed to be Liz and him—happy together. She should be pregnant with his child, not Zan's. "Me too," he whispered hoarsely as reality settled in.

"It hurt me when you called me a slut."

"I didn't mean it," he said, looking at his feet, "But can you honestly blame me?"

She couldn't. She would have said the same thing in his position.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asked.

"Maybe. In time, but right now, I can't. We're over, Max. We can remain friends, but you know, we tried that and it never worked out. We both just can't get over what happened. Anything other than trying again, we're done." Liz took this opportunity to walk away. Even though it was her room, she couldn't be in the same room with him, much less stand the sight of him. She had too much on her mind.

* * *

"Whatcha guys talk 'bout?" asked Zan. When everyone had gone home (for Max, it was being led out by Michael because Max was too far gone to control himself), he stayed behind to help Liz clean up the mess. In a matter of seconds, the glass shards and the sugar were gone. Now he was resting on her bed.

"You know what we talked about," Liz said as she brushed her hair, staring blankly into her dresser mirror. She was feeling such tension. If anyone had told her she would be pregnant with Zan's baby, she might have laughed in their faces. She always thought when she would be with child, it would be with Max. She understood what Max was going through, what he was feeling. Nothing was turning out like they had expected. They both had dreams and goals that included each other, and now everything was changing. There was no going back.

Zan saw her disappear into her thoughts. He didn't like the frown that marred her beautiful face. He got up and began to knead her sore shoulder muscles, eliciting a sigh from her. "That feels good," she commented.

"I know," he grinned. Liz rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "I can't believe ya havin' mah child," he said, pushing her hair all onto one shoulder, leaving the other bare.

"Scary, huh?" she said, closing her eyes when she felt Zan's nose brush against her neck. Ever since Max asked if Zan loved her, she couldn't help but think about it for the entire day. She had to know because she did love him. "Zan, I know we haven't known each other for long, but… do you love me?"

Normally he would have tensed up and walked away, but Liz was not just some girl. He knew they would eventually have this conversation and he was ready. He placed an open-mouth kiss on her shoulder, dragging his lips to her neck. He pushed the tank top strap off her shoulders, hungered by the sight of the tank top dropping slightly to reveal the top of her creamy breasts. If he pushed the straps further down, it would only take an inch or two before he saw her dark areolas. He groaned as he felt the stirrings of his penis.

"You're beautiful," he said, turning her around. His arms curled around her waist, pulled her up from her seat and pressed her body to his. Staring into her brown eyes, he rested his forehead against hers. "You're beautiful and I love you." In her mid-smile, he then captured her lips in a tight lock between lips.

She sighed with content at the familiar taste of Zan. He didn't have the same taste as Max. He didn't stir the same feelings as she felt with Max, but they were just as strong and intense. Whereas Max tasted of cinnamon and Tabasco, Zan tasted of spice and liquor. With Max, it was pure love and with Zan, it was pure passion. Curling her fingers around the base of his neck, she allowed him to explore her. His sizzling tongue made her tingle when it slid against hers like his rough hands on her soft skin. She let him lead her to bed and as she laid down, he hovered over her, using his arms to prop himself up.

"God, baby, I don't think I ever can get enough of you," he huskily said. She tasted of strawberries and fine wine. Future-Liz had a similar taste as well; she had tasted of strawberries and expensive aged wine. Liz tasted of freshly made wine. He groaned as he felt the brush of her lips against his adam's apple. Her body was too soft under his. He felt like he was on fire.

She whimpered as she felt Zan shift his hips only to have his hardened bulge make contact with her already wet core through the fabric of their clothes. "Then don't. Take me, Zan. Please," she pleaded as she tried to pull his entire weight down onto hers. He cupped the side of her face, lightly pushing her head back as his lips descended down to her neck. He was teasing her with his lips. She had never realized how sensitive her neck was until Zan gently bit down where her neck met her shoulder. She hissed as his sharp teeth sank in. Pressing her palms flat against his hard back, she wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing herself against him. She needed him.

"Fuck, Liz," he moaned as he watched this beauty mew softly as she rubbed her heat against his own. He knew what she wanted because he wanted just the same. They wanted to bite playfully at each other. They wanted to kiss like they had never been kissed before. They needed to feel their skin against each other. They needed to taste each other. They wanted to crawl into the other person. They needed to explode in pleasure. They wanted to make love. They wanted each other. As his fingers slipped under her shirt, he felt the swell of her stomach against his palm. Quickly, he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked breathlessly.

"I… I don't want to hurt the baby," he said with distress on his face.

She then covered her mouth with her hands, but it was too late. The laughter in her body erupted from her lips as she threw her head back, cackling away. "Zan! Oh, Zan!"

"What?" he said, clearly pissed that she was laughing at him. Men never liked to be laughed at, especially during sex.

"You won't hurt the baby. He or she will be just fine. He or she's not going to see _you_ , you know," she said, thinking about what most men freaked out about when having sex with their pregnant partners. Then she leaned into his ear and licked the shell of his ear. Whispering, she said, "If anything, you're hurting me right now for not touching me."

Zan closed his eyes in a groan as he felt her suck on his earlobe. "No, angel. I know I can't hurt the baby or the baby can't see my... my you-know... my impressive cock here, but when I fuck," he hissed against her ear with a smirk, "I fuck hard." He quickly pulled Liz's shirt over her head, surprising her. "You want me to touch you? Oh, I'll touch you alright," he said, pulling down her sweats along with her panties.

She was dressed one second, but the way he ripped her clothes from her… Her legs quivered as her core began to ache more. "God, Zan, hurry, please!" she pleaded with him. She felt odd that she was the only one naked and he was still fully clothed. But then all thoughts flew out of her head as Zan threw her legs over his shoulders and buried his mouth into her heat. Kissing the puffy folds of her core, his tongue snaked out, gathering the liquid that had seeped out. A deep moan vibrated from his throat as the taste of Liz made him dizzy. Her fingers gripped onto his hair as he began to slowly but surely eat her out. His tongue licked the entire length of her core and then dipped inside her, acting as a miniature cock.

"Oh god, Zan. That feels so fucking good," she gasped out in a breathless moan as she felt his tongue trace her opening.

Zan grunted as he heard Liz curse. She was always so proper but hearing such slews leave her mouth made him harder. Hovering over her vagina, he asked, "You like that, baby? Do you want more?" Teasing her, he pushed his finger just barely inside of her, only until he couldn't see the tip anymore.

"Please," she mewed as she tried to impale herself onto the finger.

"Tell me what you want," he huskily growled, watching her body arch off the bed only to try to bring herself down on his hand. All he could smell was her scent and it drove him nuts.

"God, Zan, make me cum. Make me fucking cum," she growled at him, frustrated that he wasn't relieving her ache but only causing it to grow more.

Smirking, he brought his mouth back down to her pussy and began to eat her out all the while thrusting several fingers into her. The clenching of her wet walls around his fingers and the increased grip on his hair from her fingers told him that she was almost there. Sucking and tonguing her clit, with a throaty growl, he slammed three of his fingers into her hard.

"Oh god, OH GOD!" Liz cried, arching off the bed as she felt her body convulse in orgasmic pleasure.

Reluctant, he tore himself away from her sweet core and watched a flushed Liz come back down to earth. He stared at his glistening fingers that had once been inside Liz. Her juices had coated his fingers and a bit of his palm. He swiped the juices across his lip and licked it off as Liz watched him. She tasted so spicy and sweet at the same time. He inserted his index finger inside of her, causing Liz to gasp since she hadn't come off her high yet. He hooked his finger and pressed against her g-spot.

"Oh god," quivered Liz as she sobbed. He removed his finger and licked it again.

Removing his shirt, he unzipped his jeans and laid on top of her heaving body, he placed a light kiss on her rosy cheek. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered as he took in her beauty. He watched as her nipples taunted him by rising quickly up and falling down with her chest. Her hair was fanned out across her blanket. She kept licking her lips, suddenly feeling her mouth go dry. He could feel her seeping wetness stain the top of his boxers that peeked over his opened jeans.

Once Liz finally caught all the pieces that had exploded inside of her, she dropped her hands down to Zan's ass and pushed his clothed-covered erection against her heat. "Zan, please, I need you now," she begged. She could feel his rock hard cock twitch through his boxers as if it was trying to find its way out towards her. Grunting, Zan pulled his jeans and tore his boxers off. Liz quickly grabbed his cock and began to run her hand up and down. He was so huge and hard, yet he felt so soft at the same time. She could feel it pulse in her hands and jerk as she teasingly ran a finger over the head. She began to move down to return the favor as he had done to her earlier, but he pinned her down with his body.

"No, I can't wait. Watching you before, I won't last," he said as pre-cum leaked from the tip and coated her hand. She nodded and led him to her pussy. He hissed as her hot wetness coated the top of his penis. Bracing his arms on the side of her, he began to slowly sink inside of her. As he filled her, with one hand, Liz gripped at his hair like she had earlier. Grunting once again, he knew he was inside of her but he felt like it wasn't enough. Testing, he rolled his hips, not leaving her warmth once. She held onto him with her other free arm as she felt his cock slide against her walls. He fit inside her so perfectly.

"God, you feel so good, baby. So fucking good," he groaned as he began to move, slipping in and out of her passage. She was too hot for him. He felt like he couldn't breathe as she whimpered in his ear and wrapped her lower limbs around him. He picked up his speed. The sounds of their lower bodies slapping against each other filled the room. She buried the side of her face into her pillow as her nipples roughly brushed against his chest. She wasn't going to last long. After the first mind-blowing orgasm, she didn't have much in her body left for her to last. As she felt her second orgasm take over once again, the hand that had been gripping his hair pulled, causing Zan's head to jerk back.

Wincing at the pain of her tugs, he felt her pussy tighten around his cock. Cursing as she shook under him, he pulled her hand out of his hair and pushed her legs that had wrapped around him off. Grabbing each calf, he threw both legs over each of his shoulder and held onto her legs. He began to pound into her faster and harder than before as her walls continued to flutter around his cock. Liz reached for him, to hold onto him as her second orgasm was becoming her third, but was only able to hold onto his arms that were holding on her legs. She tried to breathe but every time he slammed into her, the air rushed out of her. She gasped for air as her feet were in the air. Zan slipped out till the tip was almost out and surged back into her body. She threw her head back as a scream erupted from her mouth.

His fingers gripped her legs. He was sure there would be bruises but he didn't care. He wanted to cum so badly. Liz was an addiction and he needed to satisfy his need. Pushing her legs off his shoulder, he pressed her legs up against her body and sunk deeper inside. "Fuck!" He gritted his teeth as her wetness coated his sacs. She was so much tighter when he pressed her legs together. Slamming harder and deeper into her, he felt her nails sink into his skin. The bed creaked profusely as their bodies smacked against one another. Every time he pushed into her, her body would bounce back onto his cock from the sturdy bedsprings. He was so close. Her walls kept tightening around him as if she would swallow him whole. Her nails clawed at him, trying to grab a steady hold on him.

For a minute, he thought he was going to break her but her legs kept going back further, causing her walls to clench around his cock once again. He could see her folds puff up more from the pressure as his glistening penis reappeared and disappeared inside her. He could feel the tightening of his sacs as Liz's arms involuntarily pushed her breasts together. He swooped in for a kiss, thrashing his tongue against hers with the same movements of his hips. She panted against his mouth, whimpering. He pulled away and fucked her harder, harder than he ever fucked anyone before. All he could hear was Liz's wild screams and with an almost animalistic growl, he followed with her name on his lips as he pushed into her one last time before he exploded inside of her.

With an almost painful gasp, his cock twitched and he spilled himself into her. They froze in this position for a few seconds as his load shot into her. Then in exhaustion, he dropped her legs and collapsed on top of her body, completely spent. He could feel her nipples drilling into his chest, her stomach heaving up and down as she breathed rapidly. He pressed a kiss on her shoulder blade and pulled out of her, rolling over to the side of Liz. Their arms instinctively came around each other.

"Fuck, baby, that was amazing," Zan panted as he brushed a kiss on her flushed cheek. Liz, who had no words (because she was left breathless and without words), could only nod. As their tired bodies began to shut down, they shared a slow and soft kiss before they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	30. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "It's Too Late And It's Too Bad" (Season 2, Episode 18).

_And it starts sometime around midnight._ _  
Or at least that's when you lose yourself  
_ _for a minute or two._ _  
As you stand under the bar lights  
and the band plays some song  
about forgetting yourself for a while,  
and the piano's this melancholy soundtrack to her smile,  
and that white dress she's wearing,  
you haven't seen her for a while._

_But you know that she's watching.  
She's laughing, she's turning.  
She's holding her tonic like a cross.  
The room's suddenly spinning.  
She walks up and asks how you are,  
so you can smell her perfume.  
You can see her lying naked in your arms._

_And so there's a change in your emotions  
and all these memories come rushing,  
like feral waves to your mind,  
of the curl of your bodies,  
like two perfect circles entwined.  
And you feel hopeless and homeless  
and lost in the haze of the wine._

_Then she leaves with someone you don't know,  
but she makes sure you saw her.  
She looks right at you and bolts.  
As she walks out the door,  
your blood boiling,  
your stomach in ropes.  
Oh, and when your friends say,  
_" _What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."_

_Then you walk under the streetlights  
and you're too drunk to notice  
that everyone is staring at you.  
You just don't care what you look like,  
the world is falling around you._

_You just have to see her.  
You just have to see her.  
You just have to see her.  
You just have to see her.  
You just have to see her.  
You know that she'll break you in two._

" **Sometime Around Midnight," The Airborne Toxic Event**.

* * *

**April 10, 2001, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

**Flashback** : _"Max, it doesn't matter. I love him."_

Max cursed as her words repeated in his head over and over again.

_"I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him."_

Just those three words haunted him. He didn't dare sleep because that was all he heard. He didn't dare do anything because that was all he constantly heard. God, he still loved her. She was all he thought about. He knew it was wrong for him to call her slut, but it slipped out before he could stop himself. Never would he call someone that intentionally. All he could see was her with Kyle, but that had been staged, and now… Now she was pregnant with Zan's child. Something was growing inside of her. It should've been his child. It should've been him who had gotten her pregnant. It should've been him who had slept with her. It should've been him holding her in his arms. It should be him.

"Max, you have to stop doing this to yourself. You're hurting no one but yourself."

He tore his eyes from the ceiling and sat up. He had heard her come in and felt her sit by him, but he hadn't acknowledged her presence yet. He didn't want to at all, but he knew she would never leave unless he spoke to her. He just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't anyone see that and by most of all, her?

"I love her," he said softly. He mostly said it to himself rather than to her. He knew how she felt about Liz, how she felt about him. But he didn't care. He never cared.

"There's this star, Max," Tess said, pushing her curls behind her ears. "You can see that star from our planet too. Our world's out there, Max. It's not close and sometimes it seems like a dream to me too, but it's real, and I know you know that too. That's reality, Max. This… this is the dream." She did not want to talk about Liz. She wanted nothing to do with the humans. She couldn't understand how these aliens were so caught up with the humans. From her point of view, it almost seemed as though the humans were the aliens and the aliens were the humans. But never mind that; she had a mission and she was prepared to do whatever it took to accomplish it.

Max sighed. "If that's the truth, when do we wake up?"

"It's up to you," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Her fingers gently dug into his flesh, offering him false comfort.

"My whole life, I've wanted to be this person, this normal person. Human. My whole life, I've been thinking that this alien side of me was this bad thing. This thing that made me a freak. A monster. I realize that I haven't just been hiding from the government and the law all this time. I've been hiding from myself. I don't know what's going on anymore. I thought I knew, but I don't. I've lost everyone," he said.

Mostly, he had lost Liz, his true love. His whole life, he grew up enamored with Liz Parker. She was his reason for living, his reason to make him stay in Roswell. He was comfortable watching her from afar because when she was happy, he felt happy. But ever since he saved her, as soon as he had a taste of what it was like to be around her, he knew he could never go back to just watching her from the distance. He only knew how to be with her. Without her, he was this controlling person who knew only how to follow the rules and shout orders. She brought him to life. She gave him a taste of what it was like to be normal, to be human. He was no king, not a ruler or a leader. He was just a boy in love.

Tess wrapped her arms around him, pulling away only as far to stare at him in the face. "I'll be here for eternity," she whispered.

Then she planted her lips on Max's and hoped he didn't reject her again. This time, he didn't. She felt his lips tighten for a second before his mouth slightly opened. She took this chance to graze her tongue against his. She knew her mission was to seduce him and have his child, but she was enjoying this. Never had Max acted this way towards her, except for that one time in the rain when she drove him to the brink of madness with her mind warp. This time, he was allowing it. He wasn't pushing her away or yelling at her. He was accepting her, even for a moment. In a weird way, she did care Max, or at least cared for the thought of who Max was supposed to be to her. He was supposed to be her prince. She grew up with wonderful dreams of them together. Nasedo told her of a far away planet that needed her because she was their queen and that her king was somewhere, waiting for her to step into his life. What little girl wouldn't love that?

As their mouths began to move more roughly against each other, she smiled into the kiss, knowing she was half-way there in completing her mission. She slipped her arms around his waist, pressing her chest against his, humming against his warmth. Beginning to push him down onto the bed, his hand cupped her neck and slid up to her curls.

As their lips continued to move, Max stiffened as his senses became alert, his mind slightly clearer than before. He took in everything he was feeling as though he was hyper sensitive. It wasn't the soft brown hair at his fingertips. It was slightly dry blonde curls. Instead of tasting strawberries from the lips against his, he tasted nothing. The lips were cold, the tongue violating his space; overall, the kiss just felt wrong. It felt like a tedious chore he loathed, like an unknown dish of contents he wished to never know about. Then realizing that he was kissing Tess, realizing what he was doing, realizing that he was weak, he pulled away.

"No," he said with a clenched jaw. Tess scowled, knowing that he was rejecting her once again. "I can't, Tess. I love Liz."

Tess knew it was going to be the same conversation they had last time when he pushed her away.

**Flashback** : _"Tess! What are you doing?" Max asked in disbelief as he pulled away from Tess who had just kissed him._

_"Max, I—" she began only to have him cut her off._

_"God, Tess! I thought you understood that I love Liz!" he yelled._

_With disgust, she said, "What is so great about Liz Parker? She's mousy and—"_

_"Don't you ever dare talk about her that way!"_

Shaking her head in disbelief, she knew she couldn't just seduce him that easily. His so-called feelings would never allow him to be with her. So she used the one power that would get her results: she began to mind warp him. Suddenly she had become Liz in front of his eyes. Her curls fell straight and changed into a deep hazelnut color. Her eyes glazed over, instantly changing to a dark shade of brown. Her breasts grew smaller and her frame became curvier.

"Max, I love you," she said, trying not to scoff at the words.

Max shook his head, confused. "No, Tess, stop. Stop it, Tess!"

She grabbed his arms and spoke, "This is what I can do for you, what I'm willing to do for you."

"You're _not_ her!" he yelled.

She took his hand and placed it on her chest. "I can be. Doesn't this feel like her body? Her heart is the same as mine. We both beat.... for you."

He buried his face into his hands in anguish. "God, Liz!" he said, just wishing in this moment that Tess was Liz.

"I'm right here, Max," Tess said, trying not to scrunch up her face in disgust. She was playing on his emotions, taking advantage of his vulnerability. In her best Liz impression, she spoke, "I made a mistake. I love you, not Zan." When she finally got him to drop his hands, she once again kissed him. Hearing the words he could only dream about, Max accepted this Liz. At this point, this was the closest he could ever be to Liz.

As their kisses grew passionate, Tess took his hand and placed it on her hip. Max groaned and moved in closer. He knew it was wrong. There was something off about this. One minute he was talking to… And then he was talking to... He was so confused but the feeling of physical Liz at his fingertips. As his grip tightened on her hip, ready to slide up to graze the side of her breast, the door flew open.

Ava walked in with a scowl when she saw the sight in front of her. "Tess, what da fuck ya doin' to him?" she asked angrily, clearly seeing through the warp.

Tess gulped and let the mind warp be broken. She couldn't risk mind warping her twin. Ava would know she was being warped if not at first but soon. "Nothing," she said with a tight face. Seeing Ava made Max realize what he was about to do, what he almost had done. He had been so confused and allowed himself to be fooled with. If Ava hadn't come in, who knew how far they would have gone. He was so desperate just to have Liz, he would have slept with a warp version. He felt even more disgusted with himself.

Tess leaned over into Max's ears. "Think about it, Max. I would be the perfect Liz. I would never treat you like she did." Then she left. As the door closed behind her, she leaned up against his doorframe. She heard Ava yell at Max, asking what he was doing and Max just simply replied, "I don't know."

Tess had failed her mission, knowing Ava would never leave Max by himself again.

* * *

**April 12, 2001, Wednesday; Arizona.**

It had been a long drive for her, but she welcomed it. In a few minutes, she would have to stand before Khivar and tell her that she failed. Honestly, as much as she would have taken in pleasure with sleeping with Max, she wasn't ready to be knocked up with his child. What was she suppose to do with _it_ afterwards? She didn't want to have children. She hated them. They smelled, made noises, threw up, and depleted money faster than one could earn it.

"He will see you now," said one of the official guards of Khivar. She nodded and began to walk inside. Unnerved, she bowed before him and stood back up.

"Tess, either you are one hell of a seductress or you have failed for you to have come back here so quickly," he said with an eyebrow raised.

"My lord, I…" she paused.

"Out with it."

"I have failed my mission. I was unable to seduce Max Evans and bear his child. I was interrupted by my dupe. I was unable to mind warp her because she would then suspect you and your plan, my lord."

Khivar clenched his teeth in frustration and disappointment. He had expected better from Tess, but he guessed he was wrong, which is something he did not enjoy. He stared down at her, hoping to install fear in her, but he saw her stand up straighter and throw back the same look he had been giving her. Her cold blue eyes matched his—hard and emotionless. Smiling at her courage to battle him, he admitted to himself that he was mesmerized by her. He did not love her, but she was just like him. They understood each other. Tess was rejected and as a child, Khivar, himself, had been a reject. They both longed for power and money. They both longed for society to accept them as they were.

"And what do you suppose I do with you since you have failed your mission and me?" he said, teasing her with the idea of him killing her because of her failure.

"My lord, do whatever you please," replied Tess, knowing full well he would not kill her. She had seen the way he looked at her. Khivar was not a bad looking man. In fact, he could be better looking than worthless Max Evans. A man of his power turned her on.

He stepped down from his throne and circled her. Eyeing her cleavage and her small butt that stood out, he knew she was no Vilandra, but she would do. Gripping her curls with one hand, his other hand played with the buttons of her sky blue pants.

"Whatever I want?" he growled into her ear.

"Whatever you want, my lord," she said breathlessly as his hands dipped into her pants. His fingers slipped past the waistband of her panties and found her nub where he began to gently massage it. She gasped, pressing her back into his chest.

He smiled at her response and removed his hand. He suddenly pushed her down till she was bracing herself from falling on the steps to his throne. He ripped the lower articles of clothing off of her, causing them to pool around her knees. She didn't know when he had dissolved his own pants, but yelped in surprise when he took her from behind so suddenly. She wasn't prepared, but he didn't care and she would not object.

Holding herself up as best as she could, she winced as he pulled at her curls. He pushed himself deeply and wildly into her, satisfied with her tight pussy around him. His hips moved at a blurring speed, causing her body to rock back and forth. Tess could only cry out in pleasure and in pain as her lower area became sensitive from the impact of the thrusts and as her knees rubbed against the ground.

Pinching her clit with his free hand, he enjoyed how her body jumped up and came as Tess's walls tightened around him as she orgasmed. Grunting, he poured himself inside her. Pulling out, he was satisfied with the sight of Tess's pussy in the air with his cum leaking out of her. He cleaned himself with his powers and smirked at one of his guards who was trying to look away. Shaking, Tess stood up and fixed her clothes as well.

"My lord, I have failed, but I have other news," she said.

"That is?" he said, sitting back on his throne, naked, enjoying the look of her heat-stained cheeks.

"Zan, the defect, has produced a child with a human," she said.

Khivar raised his eyebrow. Why did it seem as if the royal seven were going after humans rather than being with their own kind? "Capture this human."

"My lord, we do not need the human. She is—"

"Are you defying me?" he asked, hastily grabbing her chin so he could look into her eyes.

Tess winced at the grip he had on her face. "No, my lord. No."

Grabbing one of her breasts with his hand, he replied, "Then don't ever go against me again." Pushing Tess to her knees once again, he took her hand and placed it on his cock that had hardened once again. Tess stared at his penis that had risen. "Now suck me," he said and Tess did just that.


	31. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "Skin & Bones" (Season 2, Episode 1), "Ask Not" (Season 2, Episode 2), "The End of the World" (Season 2, Episode 5), "Harvest" (Season 2, Episode 6), and "Wipeout!" (Season 2, Episode 7).
> 
> The dates in this chapter jumps around.

_Stranded in this spooky town,_ _  
stoplights are swaying and the phones lines are down._ _  
This floor is crackling cold._ _  
She took my heart, I think she took my soul.  
With the moon, I run far from the carnage of the fiery sun._

_Driven by the strangle of vein,  
showing no mercy, I do it again.  
Open up your eyes,  
you keep on crying baby, I'll bleed dry.  
Skies, they blink at me.  
I see a storm bubbling up from the sea._

_And it's coming closer,  
and it's coming closer._

_You shimmy shook my bone, leaving me stranded all in love on my own.  
Do you think of me?  
Where am I now? Baby, where do I sleep?  
Feel so good, but I'm old.  
Two-thousand years of chasing's taking its toll._

_And it's coming closer,  
and it's coming closer,  
and it's coming closer,  
and it's coming closer._

" **Closer," Kings of Leon**.

* * *

**April 21, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Snoring softly, Max Evans wasn't dreaming, but he was resting. It had been a while since he truly slept without being plagued with nightmares. He constantly dreamt about Zan and Liz, Liz and Kyle (which he now knows had been staged), and just plain Liz. Often, he was just chasing after Liz who seemed to be moving farther and farther away from him. Turning over to his side, wishing he could just succumb to the heaviness of his eyes, Max heard an impatient rapping coming from his window. He opened his eyes, rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, and parted the curtains. He expected it to be Michael, thinking he wanted to sleep over again, but there stood Maria, breathless and pale. Opening the windows in confusion, he helped her into his room where she began to pace back and forth.

"Maria, is everything okay? It's late and no offense, you've never been to my place before," said a concerned Max who sat down on his bed.

Then she turned to him as she had finally gathered all her thoughts. "The skins," she said fearfully.

Max had always seen Maria anxious and paranoid, and perhaps frightened too, but never this scared. This was not the typical oh-wow-there-are-aliens-among-us scared. This was I'm-going-to-die scared. As soon as he heard the panic in her voice, all ideas of going back to sleep left his mind.

"Who?" he asked, taking on his leader duties.

"The skins—they're among us now."

* * *

**April 19, 2001, Thursday; Roswell, New Mexico – Two Days Earlier.**

Courtney was pissed at Michael who was no longer interested in her. He began to mope around from the loss of his human girlfriend, Maria. Scoffing, she knew he deserved so much better, but she kept on trying. Hell, she even played the part of the comforting friend in hopes that he would turn to her. She knew Michael tried to pretend like he wasn't affected by the loss of Maria, but she knew.

Back on Antar, when Michael was Rath in his true bodily form, she had longed for him. She saw what a great man he was—what a great king he would have been if he took the throne. He stood tall, confident, and sure. His commands were never questioned, but he was loyal like an idiot to King Zan. He saw Zan as his brother, family that he never had. Courtney shivered as she remembered him in his uniform that clung to all the right places on his body. His slick back hair and his hard stare that made most want to run in the opposite direction. A warrior, Rath was a warrior. Now he was just Michael, but Courtney knew that Rath was inside of him. Opening her eyes, she watched as Michael Guerin flipped a burger patty on the grill at the Crashdown café. She shook her head in disappointment. Once a great general and now, he was just a cook.

"Are you okay?" she asked, noticing him staring at the now-burnt beef patty.

He snapped out of it when he heard her voice. For a moment, he swore he saw Maria's face in the round patty. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he tossed the inedible portion into the garbage.

"You know, she doesn't deserve you," Courtney said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"One more hour till closing time," he said, changing the subject.

"You deserve better than her. You deserve someone worthy, someone who won't hit you as she pleases, someone who won't leave you."

"Courtney," he said sternly at her, warning her not to talk anymore.

Rolling her eyes, she kissed him. _Now is a good time as any_ , she thought. Michael stiffened when he felt her lips on his. She tasted different. She felt different. She was everything Maria wasn't. He wanted to pull away, but something kept him there to her lips. Sliding his hand on the back of her neck, he crushed her lips to his. In the kiss, he poured out all his frustration and anger. He was angry at Maria for leaving him. He was hurt that she didn't want to be with him. He was angry and hurt that she went to Rath, his dupe.

Courtney here said all the right things. She wanted him. She had never smacked him, cursed him out, and left him. She was here, and Maria wasn't.

Then he felt something come undone into his hand. It tugged further and further like a scarf, but felt paper-thin in his hand. Confused at what it was, he pulled away from her and looked at what was in his hand. It was a pale peach color that reminded him of the color of human skin—Courtney's skin color—but it looked like a snake skin. Examining it, when he moved to test it under his fingers, it disintegrated like it had never been in his hand.

Locking his eyes with Courtney's, he growled, "What are you?"

Her cover was blown. She had to get out of there, so she ran out of the back door, just barely missing the sizzling blast Michael had sent her way.

* * *

**April 20, 2001, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"So you mean to tell me she's some sort of lizard?" asked Maria as she scrunched up her face in disgust.

"I don't know. I don't know what it was. Or what she is. All I know is it came off of her and it was very alien-like," said Michael as he stared into the binoculars.

"God, it sounds like that episode when that chiropractor accidentally scraped off whatever was on Ross's ass!" Maria said as she leaned against the brick wall.

"Maria, this isn't time to be comparing our lives to _Friends_ ," he said.

Michael hadn't expected to enlist Maria's help in the hunt for Courtney. She just happened to be there when he accidentally blew up part of the couch as Courtney escaped out the back door. After one hard punch to the head by Maria, he told her what had happened.

**Flashback** : _"Michael, what the hell?" yelled Maria as she took in the sight of the now tattered couch that was split down in half._ _  
Michael twitched in aggravation and stared at his hand. Was his aim that bad? But when Maria's hand swiped down the side of his head, he broke out of his thoughts and lost balance, groaning at the pain.  
_

_Maria! I have to talk to you about Courtney."  
_

_She then waved her hands in an I-don't-care-manner. "I am so not interested," she said. "Next time you're sexually frustrated and_ _**she** _ _'s not here to help you, don't blow things up!" Maria could care less about Michael's relationship with Courtney.  
_

_"_ _Hey, will you just listen to me?" Michael pleaded.  
_

_"No, you listen to me, buddy. She made a play for you and you went for it. So what? Now she's screwed you over and you've come to realize she's a cheap, manipulative tramp? Well, this is not news to me."  
_

_"Maria, she's an alien!"  
_

_"She's a what now?" Maria said in confusion.  
_

_Michael rolled his eyes. He did not need this right now. "She's an alien. An extraterrestrial. A creature from outer space. Tentacles and antennas, and—"  
_

_"_ _I know what an alien is!" Maria said in anger. "God, I knew there was something wrong about her! Where is she now?"  
_

_"I don't know. She went out the back door. I tried chasing her—"  
_

_Maria cut him off. "But it's hard to run with your pants around your ankles?" she asked.  
_

_"Maria, can we just settle the personal crap later? If she's an alien, and not an alien like me, then she's the enemy."  
_

_"Fine, let's go find her," said Maria._

Michael hadn't even had the chance to tell Max and the others yet. He didn't have a cellphone on him, seeing as he could barely keep up the payment on his apartment, and conveniently, Maria's cellphone battery had died. She dragged him right out of the Crashdown with apologies to Mr. Parker, went to Courtney's place, and now they were staking her place from afar, waiting for her to come back.

Sighing, Maria stuffed her cold hands into her coat pockets. "This isn't gonna work. She's not just gonna stroll up to her hideout while we're sitting here, watching her."

"This was your idea," Michael said with a questioning eyebrow.

"That's not the way I remember it."

Putting down the binoculars, he said, "Fine. Okay, so now it's my fault."

"Yes! You know what? Just to make things simpler," she said, "from now on, you should consider everything to be your fault, okay?"

Michael did not need this at all. She needed to shut up. Like right NOW. He twitched as the familiar memory of his tactic to shut up Maria rushed through his mind like a movie reel. God, if only he could kiss her senseless right now.

"If we can talk reality here for a second, I think she booked. Out of town. Off on another spaceship," suggested Maria.

"She wouldn't. She's too obsessed with me."

"Well, that makes you two of you then, doesn't it?"

Ignoring her, he continued. "She'll show up sooner or later."

Then a snapping noise came from behind them. There stood Courtney, still in her Crashdown uniform. "How about sooner?" she said.

Quickly standing up, Michael prepared to blast her, but Courtney held up her hands in surrender. "Woah! Hey, truce."

"Don't move!" he yelled.

She smirked. "Don't worry. I won't. You're watching my place. That's very good, Mikey G. You're everything I thought you'd be and more."

Maria let out a rush of aggravation. "Oh, please! Do your lips not get chapped from all the ass-kissing?"

"What are you?" Michael asked.

"Skin. I'm a skin."

"What the hell? Is that supposed to sound cool like a skinhead? Why are you in Roswell? Where's the rest of your evil army? And most of all, why are you obsessed with my good-looking, if badly groomed, ex-boyfriend?" ran the crazy fast motor mouth on Maria.

"I'm not obsessed with him, okay?" Well, maybe she was, but she wasn't going to tell this human that. "I follow him in the political sense. He's our leader."

"Our leader?" Maria stared at her bewildered.

"We're not with the other skins. We're—"

"Other skins?" Michael questioned.

"There's a lot more of us than just me. Look, I'm not with them. I'm part of a renegade group who believes that if you were in charge instead of Max in the first place, then none of this would have ever happened."

"What are you talking about? In charge of what?" asked Michael.

"Our planet, Michael," Courtney said, a little confused. "Oh god, you don't remember any of this, do you?"

"Suppose you tell me."

"Yeah, and the short version, please," Maria said who was clearly impatient.

Then Courtney began her story. "The short version is… that our planet was on the brink of a golden age and then it all fell apart. You were the one who could have united our planet, pulled together the warring factions, brought peace. But you weren't on the throne. Max was. You wouldn't betray him too. That loyalty cost your life and those of everyone you loved. Please, just don't let history repeat itself. You're the one we need. You're our leader, our salvation."

Maria couldn't contain her laughter and the disbelief look that etched wrinkles on her forehead. Tugging onto Michael's collar, she pulled his ear to her mouth. "Michael, if you can hear me now over the sound of rapidly inflating ego, could you please tell me that you do not believe what this—this Michael-worshiper here has to say?"

Obviously hearing Maria and her words, he responded with a glare, "This is just part of your plan to divide and conquer."

"I knew you weren't ready to hear this. But tough it up, Mikey G. There's more. Copper Summit, Arizona."

Confused, he asked, "What's in Copper Summit?"

"Let's just say there aren't any Michael-worshippers in Copper Summit."

* * *

**April 21, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"You realize the sun isn't even up yet?" asked Alex who tried to use the Crashdown's booth seats as a bed.

"Why are we even here?" asked Kyle, looking to the others to tell him the answer. But they could not. They all received an urgent call from Max who told them to meet him at the Crashdown.

"I say we just go home and go back to sleep," Alex suggested.

"Oh no, now that I'm here, I'm not dragging myself all the way home. I'm sleeping on Liz's bed," Kyle said.

"Oh, smart idea!" Alex agreed.

"No one is sleeping on my bed!" Liz said sternly.

"Yeah, only I's get to sleep on 'er bed," Zan said.

"Zan!" Liz yelled in embarrassment and blushed.

"I gots to agree. I ain't comfortable wit' the idea of Kyle sleepin' on yer bed, Liz," said Ava.

"Jealous, are we?" Kyle asked with a smirk.

Ava didn't respond, and Tess, who remained silent this whole time, could only roll her eyes in disgust.

Then the doors flew open and Michael, Maria, Max, Isabel, Lonnie (who was staying with Isabel), and Courtney came in. Everyone else who was already settled in the Crashdown looked at each other with questioning eyes as soon as they saw Courtney.

"What she doin' 'ere?" asked Ava.

Michael shoved Courtney into an empty booth. "Tell them."

"Michael, this is a huge mistake. You're all gonna get yourselves killed. I did not spend fifty years finding you just so that you could throw your life and theirs away out of misplaced loyalty."

"Woah, fifty years? Did you take this _mission_ after your parents or something?" asked Kyle.

Ignoring the dweeb, Courtney said, "I—... We came here in 1950. Do the math."

"That would make you sixty-five or seventy," said Kyle, obviously not very good at math.

"Let me guess, botox?" asked Alex.

"God, you're old enough to be Michael's grandmother. I just… I love that. I do!" Maria said excitedly.

"Hey, husks don't age."

"Wait a minute, guys," Liz said. "Who's 'we' and what's a 'husk'?"

Courtney then told her story. She explained that there was another race of aliens called the Skins who were on Khivar's side. She explained how she was a part of a renegade group and purposely left out their adoration for Michael to be leader.

She explained that a husk was the skin she was wearing. It was basically a shell that protected the race of Skins from the environment like a space suit. Apparently, Earth's atmosphere was hostile to the Skins and their husks were a life form technology that was genetically manipulated to resemble human bodies. Their relationship to it was essentially parasitic. She explained that the husks never aged and it often peeled, like a snake skin as Michael had put it, because the husks were dying.

"Well, if all the skins in Copper Summit are about to die, then all we have to do is wait them out. If the husks die, we're home free, right?" asked Max.

Courtney remained silent.

"Whatcha ya not tellin' us?" asked Zan.

"The harvest."

* * *

As the humans sat out in the front of the Crashdown, the aliens had their 'round-table' meeting in the backroom.

"Max, I don't think we should trust her," Tess said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Michael, do you believe her?" asked Max, ignoring Tess. Upon seeing his best friend nod his head, he responded to Tess, "If he believes her, that's enough for me."

Tess scoffed. "How do you know she's telling the truth? She will lead the skins straight to Roswell!"

"She's with us, Tess," said Michael.

"But Courtney—"

"Shut up, Tess. Ya gettin' on mah nerves," Lonnie said. "If da King believes, we believe. Simple as dat."

"How can you be so calm about this? Who knows what these _skins_ can do!" Tess yelled.

"Gerbil, stop yer screechin'. Mah ears are bleedin'," said Rath. "Yo, bro, I gots yer back."

"Thanks," said Michael who was pained to say it.

"Listen, Max and I are King. We dunno who's da real throne-taker, but at this moment, we both decide, and I say we trust 'er," said Zan.

Max nodded, hating that he was agreeing with his twin.

* * *

"So basically, your husk is starving?" Liz asked, letting her inner scientist break free.

Maria snickered. "You mean your husk will eat at you like two canned hams?"

"Bitch," stated Courtney to Maria.

"So what if we tempt it with food from outside the membrane, sort of like an all-you-can-eat-buffet?" Alex asked, releasing his inner dork as well.

"I don't know," replied Courtney.

"Like some vitamins and minerals, and nutrients. If you were immersed in it, your husk would absorb it and probably go back to its natural state," Liz said who was suddenly embraced by Zan from behind. The aliens had come back out.

"Who knew you's were such a nerd?" he said, smiling at Liz being all scientific-like.

"Shut up, I'm not a nerd. I just enjoy science and I can't help it when it comes to you aliens!" she said. "So what did you guys decide?"

"We decided that we trust you, Courtney," Max said.

Finishing Max's sentence, Zan said with a cold glare that no one had ever seen on his face before, "But if we finds out you's were lyin', we'll hunt ya down and kill ya."

Courtney nodded. "Look, if any skins come to town, take the heaviest thing you can find and smash this," she said, revealing a small button on her lower back. "Smash this as hard as you can. It breaks of the seal in the husk permanently."

She also told the group to beware of someone named Nicholas. She told him of his power that exceeded their own and his power to rape one of his memories and thoughts. With that said, she embraced Michael. "Then I guess this is goodbye for now, Mikey G," she said.

Michael nodded and returned the hug, feeling uncomfortable as he felt Maria's fiery gaze hit him from behind. Then Courtney left. She was off to meet with her renegade group to tell her that the royal eight knew about them and had enlisted their help to fight Khivar and his army of Skins.


	32. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "Max In The City" (Season 2, Episode 9), "To Serve and Protect" (Season 2, Episode 11), "Ch-Ch-Changes" (Season 3, Episode 12), and "Graduation" (Season 3, Episode 18).
> 
> Just to let you know, this is a very long chapter and it spans over a few days. A lot takes place during these days.

_Every little thing I do  
trickles down and lands on you.  
I don't plan to get it wrong.  
Maybe keep your raincoat on._

_Even just one small mistake,  
something ripples in the wake.  
When I say your face is so bright  
makes me wanna do every little thing right._

_Every little thing right._

_Little things are hard to see.  
They hide behind the family tree,  
and their shadows dancing in the breeze,  
and they change their way and look at me._

_Every little tiny face  
holds the answer to this place.  
Someone here might pray tonight  
'cause I just wanna do every little thing right._

_Every little thing right.  
Every little thing right._

_(Every little thing I do  
trickles down and lands on you)_

_Every little thing right.  
(I don't plan to get it wrong.  
Maybe keep your raincoat on.)_

_Every little thing right...  
Every little thing right..._

" **Every Little Thing," Melanie Doane**.

* * *

**April 24, 2001, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"I can't wait to meet you, little guy!" he said with a grin and a light pat to Liz's stomach.

"Hey, who said it was going to be a boy?" she asked curiously with her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Parker. Are you really trying to take away my dreams of a little guy running around, throwing footballs with me?"

"Kyle, it's going to be a few years before this little 'guy' is throwing _anything_ at you. Anyway, I think Zan would like to be throwing footballs at him rather than you."

Kyle frowned as he popped a french fry into his mouth. "Meany," he stated to her as his hopes of showing this little guy life's true pleasures—the ladies—were dashed. "So where's Zan? I haven't seen him around lately and that's odd, seeing how he's normally attached to your neck."

"Kyle!" Liz exclaimed, blushing. Ever since their relationship had come out into the open, Zan had been glued to her side like peanut butter to bread. But then Courtney came to town, telling them about their enemy, the skins, and he hasn't been around. She shrugged a little, trying to play it off as if she wasn't saddened by the loss of him near her. "I don't know. I think he's with the rest of the royal Czechs."

"Practicing on making sparks fly out of their hands?" he said, pretending to blast a sugar container.

She nodded solemnly. The royal eight were practicing their powers against nature. Rocks and trees—they didn't stand a chance against aliens. Soon they had moved on to using their powers on each other and dodging the hits. Looking down at Kyle's ketchup-soaked fries, she scrunched up her face in disgust as the smell of tomatoes suddenly hit her. "Ugh, how can you eat that, Kyle?"

"What—this?" he said, signaling to his greasy plate. "Parker, this is heavenly food!"

"More like nauseating."

"That's because you're preg—" said Kyle who was quickly cut off with Liz's hand smacking him right over the mouth. He watched as Mr. Parker passed by. Grabbing her hand off his face, he gave Mr. Parker a weak smile and glared at Liz.

Liz had told her parents about her condition and they were more than ready to kill Zan. They couldn't understand how their baby girl had just met this guy and was already sleeping with him. Obviously they didn't know the true story of how she became pregnant. Just as Jeff threatened to get his butcher knife to inflict a slow and painful death on Zan, Liz had Ava plant false memories in her parents' brain into thinking Zan had been there for a longer period of time.

No one knew Ava could do this. She was still experimenting with it. She wondered that if she could temporarily create illusions from reality, why couldn't she put snippets of false memories, essentially illusions, into others? She was unable to do it to aliens (she tried it on Rath when he was passed out in bed back in New York), but found that if a human let his or her guard down, she could penetrate through the wall and enter the mind. Liz was worried that it would harm her parents considering this power was still in its very experimental stage, but Ava promised that she would be careful with them. Liz was worried that Ava had such a enormous power, but she remembered that this was Ava—the Ava that was by her side this whole time, unlike Tess that kept ruining her life.

Two hours later after the warp, they were still just as pissed but in their minds, Liz had been seeing Zan for almost two years. Jeff and Nancy were so very confused. Snippets were not full memories. They were just impressions, and that's what they had—memories of Zan and the gang walking past the Crashdown, him giving his order to Liz, and just hanging around every once in a while, but no full vivid memories of him. Liz hated lying to her parents like that and she hated the power of mindwarping, but what could she do? They would never understand. They wanted to send her away to an all girls' boarding school! They didn't even want her to keep the child! There was no way she was letting them take them from her. And now, even though they knew, it was still a sensitive topic.

"You're going to get fat, Kyle, with all that food."

"Well, you're going to be the first fat one here, Parker."

"Ugh, don't remind me. None of my clothes fit right anymore," she said, pulling down the shirt that was insistent on rising above her belly button. Then just to spite Kyle, she took his plate away from him.

"Liz, give that back!" he shouted.

"No, you don't deserve it. You called me _fat_ ," she said, holding the plate in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Liz. I'm sorry!" he pleaded. Liz almost gave in at the sight of Kyle's sudden those-fries-are-my-lifeline expression, but she stood her ground.

"No, that's not enough. You're going to have to beg."

"There's no way I'm begging, Parker."

"Beg, Valenti," Liz said, hating that he was calling her by her last name.

"You know what, Parker? You're pregnant and it's probably the hormones that's doing the talking right now. I know when not to mess with a woman, especially not one knocked up by spacemen," he sniffed. "Oh, and Liz? If Max Evans had never stolen you from me, you'd be begging me to let you see this delicious body of mine," he said, teasing her as he started to lift up his shirt, revealing his abs.

"KYLE!" Liz shouted in shock, her eyes widening.

He burst into laughter. "Come on, Liz. You know me better than that." He embraced her over the counter table and said, "I stopped having feelings for you like that a long time ago. Now you're like that guy's best friend who happens to be lacking a penis."

She smacked him on the arm and rolled her eyes. She dumped the plate into the bin with the other dirty dishes in revenge. As she walked away, no one noticed the plate was half melted and whatever was left on that plate had been turned burnt beyond recognition.

* * *

**April 25, 2001, Wednesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Max winced as he gently touched his split bottom lip and his bruised left cheek. Staring across from him was Zan who was bleeding profusely from the loss of his eyebrow piercing, which now left a gaping hole on his face. They had been practicing their powers, but then things took a turn for the worse. Before they knew it, they were punching each other in all places' possible. Well, maybe they did know why. Max had made purposely exploded a giant rock next to Zan, covering him in rock dust. In anger, Zan retaliated by blowing the tree behind him to pieces, intent on getting a few large splinters in Max. It was the battle of the powers—who was the strongest. Then fists flew along with a few kicks here and there.

"Get over it, man. She's wit' me now," Zan said, wiping the blood that was starting to block his eyesight.

"You don't deserve her," Max growled.

Zan shook his head. Though they had agreed to trust Courtney, it was the closest to peaceful they could be towards each other. When it came to Liz, they could not back down. Each believed Liz belonged to them. "We can't keep doin' dis. Liz's gonna find out we's havin' our own fight club and I ain't havin' mah lady yell at me."

"She's not your ' _lady_ ,'" said Max who began to heal himself with his powers. Zan did the same to his wound, closing up the wound and making the blood vanish. "Look, I'm not giving her up. I love h—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You love 'er. Damn man, can't ya say somethin' new?"

"Something new, huh, asshole? How about this: I don't want Liz around when this goes down," he said, referring to the upcoming war.

Zan took a moment to study Max. He cursed, knowing they were going to have another "peaceful" bonding shit moment. He shook his hand at his twin. "Fuck, man. You jus' had to go there, ay? I don't want her around either. She's carryin' mah child. Nuttin's gonna happen to either one of 'em."

Max clenched his jaw at the mention of the child. With all his heart, he believed that the child should have been his, not Zan's. He should be the one by her side, helping her through this. As much as he still loved Liz, he didn't want to harm the child because harming the child would harm her and he couldn't bear to see her hurt. "It's an idea, but I want to send her away from here. She has an aunt down in Florida. Maybe she can stay with her till… till most of this blows over."

"Florida?" Zan questioned.

"It'll do her some good. She won't have to worry about aliens hunting or hurting her or the child. She will relax and spend her days down at the beach. It will do her some good," he said, sounding almost as if he was trying to convince himself.

"Florida sounds good," was his twin's reply.

* * *

"You want to send me WHERE?"

"Florida. He says ya got a aunt down 'ere and I—"

"Florida, Zan! Florida! Are you listening to yourself?"

"No, Liz, Zan's right. We don't want you here when things get bad!" Max said, jumping into the conversation.

"And you!" Liz said, stabbing her finger into Max's chest. "I may have forgiven you when you called me a slut," she said, remembering when she saw Max all torn apart at the hurt he had caused her. She couldn't bear to see that frown stay permanently on his face so she forgave him. Truth be told, she was hurt, but she understood why he reacted the way he did so she forgave him. "But that does not give you a right to start controlling my life!"

"We ain't tryin' to control yer life, baby. We jus' want ya to be—" Zan said only to be cut off by Liz.

"Safe, I know!" She threw her hands up in the air in aggravation. "God, did you ever think it would be more dangerous for me to be as far as away from here?"

"Liz, they don't know about you!" Max said.

"And how do you know that, Max? Hmm? Tell me. Zan, you tell me. How are you both so sure they don't already know about me?" They didn't answer her. "God, what if they come after me in Florida? What will I do then? You guys won't be there to protect me. You're basically handing me to them on a silver platter!"

"Baby, we jus' want ya to be safe."

"Liz, you deserve a normal life. This child _deserves_ a normal life. By staying here, he or she won't have that."

"Max, Zan, look. This is my child. This is my life. You two don't have any right to boss me," she said, planting her hand in front of her stomach like a protective mother. "Max, ever since you saved me, I've been a part of this every step of the way. God, Max, I jumped off a bridge for you! And Zan, ever since you came to Roswell, you know that I will go anywhere you are. So you two, just stop. Give up. I'm staying here and you can't do anything about it."

"Liz," they both started to say.

"No, I am a part of this group and I am staying," she said with a glare that could send Hitler himself to an early grave before stamping off into the backroom to get ready for school.

* * *

**April 27, 2001, Friday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

As Liz turned over, she groaned at the constant pounding on her head. She felt ill as soon as she woke up yesterday. Her body felt sluggish and her head felt heavy. She felt like she was on her third day of her period—completely energy-drained, but she wasn't on her period. She didn't have a fever either, but her body felt too warm for her own comfort. As soon as she had gotten home, she laid down on her bed, trying to rest. It didn't help. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the room spin. When her eyes opened, all she saw was blur.

**Flashback - Yesterday** : _"Liz," Max whispered, nudging her with his elbow._

_She quickly sat up with her hair in front of her face. "Hmm?" she said, groggily._

" _You were asleep," he said._

_She looked at him, confused. "No, I wasn't."_

_He then pointed to her mouth. "You have drool on your—"_

_Her hand flew to her mouth and discovered a trail of saliva that had seeped from her mouth down to her chin. "Oh, that is so disgusting," she said as she wiped it off on her sweater sleeve. Max quickly swiped his hand over the wet stain and dried it with his powers. Quickly pretending to do her work as the teacher walked by, she felt him nudge her again._

" _Are you alright? Is it the baby?"_

" _No, the baby's fine. But it's like my head is fogged in and my head is just being dragged along for the ride."_

" _Are you sure it's not because the baby is a… you know?"_

" _No, I'm sure. I totally would have stayed home from school today if my dad wasn't on my case about this Harvard interview I have today. Nothing's set in stone. There were just these deadlines, you know? And if I wanted to keep the possibility of going there alive, then this interview is something that I have to do."_

_He seemed to have accepted her answer and continued with the class work. She got up, walking over to the sink to splash some water on her face when as soon as she looked in the mirror, she gasped in horror. Her face was completely gone. As her hand slid up to her face, she felt her nose but she couldn't see it. It was as if someone had covered her face with skin-colored clay. As she began to call for Max, her face suddenly came back, but when it did, she felt the world shake under her feet. She looked around, but everything was normal. It was all in her head. Gulping, she knew something was wrong._

**Flashback – Earlier Today** : _Seeing as she hadn't gotten any better the next day, Liz sat on the cold bed in a thin gown, waiting for her doctor to see her. This couldn't be just some bug. She feared it was alien-related, so here she was, trying to prove herself wrong. As the doctor came in and took his seat, he examined her chart._

_"Liz, your white blood cell count is normal, which eliminates any bacterial infection. You may have a virus. Are you experiencing any dizziness?"_

_She shook her head._

_"Coughing?"_

_Again, she shook her head._

_"These symptoms could be from your pregnancy."_

_"I don't think it is. I think there's something else that's wrong, doctor."_

_"Liz, are you using protection? How many people have you recently slept with?"_

_She looked at him, stunned. Beginning to shake her head, she said, "Dr. Fink, I—", but he cut her off, seeing her nervousness._

_"I can't help you protect yourself unless you are completely honest with me. When you're young, Liz, sometimes you overlook the consequences of knowing someone intimately, and there's a possibility that you may catch something even from someone you love."_

The doctor was useless. He was absolutely no help to her. She knew it wasn't pregnancy symptoms. She knew she didn't get anything from Zan. She just didn't know what was going on with her. Her eyes snapped opened when she heard her door open. It was Kyle. He gave her a brief smile before stepping in and closing the door. He held a bowl and a spoon in his hands. "I asked your dad to get me some soup for you," he said, placing it down by her bedside table.

She weakly smiled. "Thanks, Kyle."

"Are you feeling any better? You kind of worried me when you called me," he said, sitting by her zombie-like body.

"No, I just feel horrible, more than yesterday. I've just been having these strange symptoms lately."

"Strange symptoms? Shoot."

Thinking, she said, "Fatigue and total inability to concentrate."

"Parker, that's me every day."

She half-smiled at him. It was so like Kyle (and very similar to Alex) to use humor to make everyone feel better. "I've been having some hallucinations."

"Like what?"

"Like yesterday, I looked into the mirror and my face totally disappeared." Kyle began to laugh, but Liz stopped him. "No, for real. This is serious, Kyle. Something strange is happening to me."

"I know I came here to ask if you're feeling any better, but why are you telling me this?"

"What makes me different from everybody else is the fact that I was brought back from the dead by an alien."

Kyle twitched a little. "Well, so was I, and now that you've touched on one of my deepest, darkest fears, let's just assume that what you're going through is just stress." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a worn book. " _Buddha, Take Me Away_. This book has gotten me through some very tough times. Here, young grasshopper, take it. Time for you to learn from the master," he said, handing her the book.

She rolled her eyes, taking the book from him and tossed it onto her table. "Don't be ridiculous, Kyle." Then her radio suddenly turned on and a song began to play. Liz stared at it confusingly. The radio wasn't on before. No one turned it on. As her hand reached closer to the machine, the volume grew louder. Kyle could only stare at the radio.

"Liz…" he said in fear.

As her hand dropped on top of the radio, sparks began to fly as though the radio was a firecracker. She withdrew her hand as soon as she heard the sizzling and cracking of electricity. Then there was static.

"Oh my god, Liz. Did you just…?"

Bringing her hand closer to the object again, sparks once again appeared.

"You did!," he exclaimed said in amazement. "Woah..."

"Kyle, I think I'm changing," Liz said, licking her dry lips.

While still looking at the radio, he asked, "Have you talked to Max or Zan about this at all?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to tell them… not yet."

"But Max is the one who healed us. He needs to know."

"I'm too scared to tell him."

"Why, Liz? You go to him for everything."

"That's it, Kyle. I go to him for everything. He risked so much when he healed me. It's what made me fall in love with him. I can't just—"

"Yeah, me too."

"Kyle! I'm serious!"

"Look, Parker. What's going on here is really scary. If I don't lighten the mood, I might lose it," he said, running his fingers through his hair. Then he quickly removed his fingers and stared at them. For a moment, he was afraid he'd electrocute his own brain, but remembered he still had time before he would begin his change too.

"I know, me too," she replied.

He sighed and scooted over to the empty side of her bed, lying down while staring at her ceiling. "If you need anything, remember that I'm here for you."

She smiled weakly. "Thank you." And then she turned back to the radio and stared at the charred marks.

* * *

**April 28, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Zan nudged Liz with his feet. "You's still feelin' sick?" He was worried. This was the third day that Liz had been sick. He watched her go from a lively person to someone who dragged her feet just to get to the bathroom.

"Uh, just a little bit. I have so much school stuff piled up, you know? And my dad expects me to be at the Crashdown."

"If ya want, I'll cover yer shift," he offered.

She weakly smiled at him. "Thanks, but I can do it." She got off from her desk chair and then suddenly her legs turned to jell-o. Oh god, she was fainting again, wasn't she, Liz thought as her body began to fall. Zan quickly caught her and sat her down onto her bed.

"Baby, ya okay?"

She placed her hand against her cheek. She was burning up. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just think this flu is getting to me," she said, getting back up on her feet. She began to pack up her books into her bookbag when suddenly the book in her hand burst into flames. She quickly dropped it to the ground with a scream. Instinctively, Zan used his powers to extinguish the flames.

"Liz, I didn't do that," he said, confused as he stared at the burnt mess on the floor.

She met his eyes with her own frightened ones. "I did."

"That's not possible," he said, shaking his head.

"It is. Max healed me and now I'm different."

* * *

This is what Future-Liz had told her about. She told her this would happen. But Liz hadn't expected it so soon. She was still trying to comprehend the fact that she was carrying Future-Liz's and Zan's child. On top of that, with her interview to Harvard, obligation to school, work, and the upcoming war, Liz was tired. She couldn't handle all of this.

**Flashback** : _Future-Liz took Liz's hand and said,_ _"Max, when he healed you, when he brought you back from the dead, he changed you."_

_"What do you mean by changed?" Liz asked in confusion._

_"I don't know how to explain it. Your human cells start to evolve, becoming like the aliens'. You develop powers similar to theirs'."_

_"I have powers?"_

_"I can't tell you what they are or when you'll get them, but they will do so much good in this world. Just remember that," Future-Liz said, smiling._

Zan had tried to act as calm as he could as he paced in front of her. He didn't know how to help her. He had never seen anything like this. His Liz was in pain and she was making things burst into flames—and he couldn't stop it. He feared that he would lose her just like he had lost Future-Liz. He feared for his unborn child.

Max quickly climbed up the ladder and made his way into Liz's room. "I came as fast as I heard. What happened?"

"Show him," Zan said.

Liz bit her lower lip and rolled up her sleeves. Where her veins were, they were now replaced by green electricity surging up and down her arms. Right after she had made lit up the book in flames, her entire body began to sizzle. Zan had gasped when he saw it. She looked like one of those cartoon characters that was being electrocuted.

"Does it hurt?" Max said, almost too afraid to touch her.

She answered, "It comes and goes." She knew Max and Zan had never seen anything like this. Not that they would because they barely even knew anything about their own species. Meeting their gazes, she asked, "Am I going to die?"

They had no answer for her.

* * *

"Will this work?" Zan asked Max.

"According to the book, we can use the healing stones to amplify our powers," he said, placing the healing stones around Liz who was lying on the desert floor. "If we do that, it might wipe out whatever is happening inside of her."

"Liz, this is going to hurt, okay?" Max told her. She nodded and as soon as he saw that she was ready, he placed his hand on her bare stomach. Zan placed his hand on top as well. Together, they began to heal her using their powers and the stones. Slowly, Liz's body began to lift from the ground. Light erupted from their hands and began to travel up and down her body, surrounding her in a glow.

Liz felt pain that she had never felt before. Being shot didn't even compare to this. She felt like her body was being torn into pieces and those pieces were being pulled into different directions. She was sure she was going to die. "Stop, please, I can't!" she cried.

"Hold on, it's working. I feel it!" Max said.

They concentrated more on channeling their powers into Liz's body, trying their best to block out Liz's haunting screams that made them cringe inside with pain.

* * *

**April 30, 2001, Monday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"How are you feeling?" asked Zan as he brushed Liz's bangs away from her face. Twisting the cool water out of the towel, he began to pat her now-steady temperatured forehead.

"I'm doing better," she said, weakly smiling up at him. Ever since Max and he had tried to heal her outside in the desert, Zan had been by her side, taking care of her as if she was an invalid. As much as she hated that, she loved how much he cared for her. From his physical appearance and the way he spoke, most would think he was a brute, but deep down, he was the most caring, sweetest person she had ever met, besides Max.

She had gotten a little better, but her powers were still there. She already knew this from Future-Liz that the powers couldn't disappear. But now she was no longer in pain, no longer tired, and no longer glowing. She had never felt better. For once, as her body recovered, she felt more like herself with every passing second. She was rebalanced. She was now the Changed.

"Knock, knock," said Maria as she opened the door.

"Hey Maria," she said.

Zan nodded at Maria. Turning towards Liz, he spoke softly, "Liz, sooner or later, we're gonna hafta talk," and left the room to give them some privacy. Liz watched him disappear behind the closing of the door, dreading the talk they would have later.

"I am so sorry, chica," Maria said, planting a kiss on Liz's forehead.

"Maria, stop apologizing."

"No, I can't. You've been going through complete hell and all I've been doing is complaining about my relationship problems."

"Yeah, and this is exactly what I didn't want for you to come along for the ride."

Maria shook her head and glared at Liz. "Don't ever," she said as her bottom lip quivered. "We are best friends, Liz Parker, so just don't ever, okay?" The tears began to spill down her cheek.

"Oh, Maria," Liz whispered before sitting up and taking her in her arms.

They had been having their up's and down's lately, both busy with their own personal lives. In this moment, they felt that closeness they once had.

Maria sighed. "Sometimes I just wish you could close your eyes and just… be somewhere else."

Liz smiled as she thought. "A café in Paris."

Maria scrunched up her face at her best friend's cliché answer. "No, Jamaica. The beach, and the blue ocean, and the warm sand between our toes."

Liz laughed and agreed.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah," said Liz, feeling much better.

* * *

"So what happened out there?" Kyle asked which was the question that was on everyone's mind. God, these meetings were happening more and more frequently. Rath and Lonnie sat by the counters while Michael, Isabel, and Max sat in their own booth. Everyone else sat in the tables in the middle of the café.

"I guess you could now say I am sort of half-alien?" Liz answered with a question tone.

"She changed," Ava said with a look to Liz. "She's like, you know, the Changed."

Liz tried to get her mind wrapped around the idea of her now being a half-alien, but she was so confused. Only a few days ago, she was human. "I guess when Max healed me, he changed me and these changes were slowly attacking my human cells until recently. I'm fine now, sort of rebalanced, you can say.."

"So that means I'm going to change too, right?" asked Kyle.

Isabel gasped as she recalled the moment. "Oh my god, you're right! Max healed you when you were shot!"

"I'm going to be one of you? I'm going to be one of your people?" questioned Kyle in a grimace. "Does this mean someday I'll be buzzing and crackling like tin foil in a microwave?"

"Don't worry, Kyle. We'll be here to help you. At least we now know what to do," said Liz, looking at Max and Zan who were both uncomfortable.

Kyle shrugged, feeling he had just lost his will to live. "Well, at least I'm with my own kind when it happens."

Michael scrunched up his face in absolute disgust. "Does he really get to start referring to us as his 'own kind'?"

"Man, am I the only human left?" asked Alex.

"Aw, don't worry, Alex. I'm still human!" Maria said proudly with a hug.

"And don't you ever go get hurt and get Max or Zan to heal you!" Alex said, hugging Maria to him as if she was his toy and someone was trying to take her away from him. Maria giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Guys, this isn't cool. I don't want to be an alien!" Kyle freaked out.

"Is dat so bad?" asked Ava.

"Ava, I'm human. I was born human and I expected to die a human."

As Tess poured Tabasco sauce all over her waffles with whip cream and strawberries, she began to take a bite out of it. Kyle looked at her food with disgust. "That's a very alien thing, isn't it? The very sweet, very spicy thing?" he asked. Tess nodded. "Can I try a bite?"

"Whatcha doin'?" asked Lonnie, confused.

"Shhh, he's seein' if he's alien now," answered Rath.

"You won't like it," Tess said.

"Oh, I hope not," Kyle said, letting the Tabasco-covered pancake piece slip into his mouth. He shook his head and let out a distressed "Oh my god."

Tess gave him a look. "I told you."

"No, no, no," he began to say, trying not to grimace. "It's not completely horrible. It's almost… tasty.

"Oh well, here. Have some more," she said, offering him more of her pancake.

"No, no! I can't! This is so wrong. I'm not ready for this. For the change. Not ready to be, like, half-human, half-alien freakazoid."

"We prefer da term, 'hybrids'," said Lonnie.

"I'm serious. Look, I never bargained for this. One minute, I'm a normal guy with my whole life ahead of me, and the next thing I know, Max Evans transmogrifies me into something not-of-this-Earth."

"Transmo-what?" Max asked.

"I never asked for this!"

"I suppose he coulda let ya die. Is dat what ya want?" asked Rath. "'Cause I could kill ya now."

"Ha-ha, no thanks, my freaky mohawk buddy. But just to let you know, if I had died, I would have transcended the mortal plane and been reincarnated into the next stage of my life," responded Kyle.

"Reincarnated as what, exactly?" Maria asked.

"Like just another person or animal, maybe."

"An animal? You could have ended up a gopher or something!" Alex said with a laugh.

"Well, there are perks to being an alien," Ava said with a smirk.

"Like?"

She answered, "Well, ya git to have powers, whatever they are when ya git them. Ya could develop superpowers and start flyin' all over Roswell in a big cape. Or maybe nuttin' will happen. Oh and trust meh, you're in for a treat. Alien sex is way hotter than human sex."

Rath laughed and let out a wolf call. "Alien sex, baby. Accept no imitations! AWOOOOO!"

Everyone around them groaned in horror at Ava and Rath, but Kyle's eyes grew as he wondered what alien sex would be like with Ava.

"Yeah, Liz can vouch for dat," Zan said with a wink.

"What?! NO! No, I can't. Shut up, Zan!" Liz said, embarrassed, trying to deny it even though it was true. She would vouch for what Ava said, but seeing as she had never slept with a human, she couldn't compare. Not that she wanted to. Sex with Future-Max and sex with Zan had been mind-blowing enough for her. She frowned when she saw Max grimacing.

Clasping his hands together, Kyle looked up at the ceiling, pretending it was the sky. "Buddha, I am forever your loyal servant… but please, hurry the fuck up with the transmogrification!" Isabel called him an idiot while Ava laughed. Reaching for Tess's waffles, he asked, "Can I have another piece?"

"NO!" Tess cried, pulling the plate away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Ava a new power that Tess does not have. The reason for this is Tess is considered the most powerful in the Royal Four group, and I found it only natural that Ava would be the same within her group. Though Tess had help from Nasedo in building her powers, I see Ava, considering her background, as very strong and smart enough to educate herself as well.


	33. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "Graduation" (Season 3, Episode 18).

Then the snow started falling.  
We were stuck out in your car.  
You were rubbing both of my hands,  
chewing on a candy bar.

You said, ain't this just like the present  
to be showing up like this?  
As a moon waned to crescent,  
we started to kiss.

And I said I know it well.  
That secret that we know that we don't know how to tell.  
I'm in love with your honor.  
I'm in love with your cheeks.  
....

And I know it well, I know it well.  
And I know it well, I know it.  
And I know it, I know it.  
And I know it, I know it.

" **Blood Bank," Bon Iver**.

* * *

**May 1, 2001, Tuesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Over the new few days, Liz had been learning how to control her new powers with the help of the royal squad. Michael and Rath taught her how to blow up things, which was pretty easy. Isabel and Lonnie taught her how to manipulate the color and size of any object, including a little bit of dreamwalking. Max taught her how to heal and Zan taught her how to put up a shield to protect herself. Ava tried to help Liz learn mindwarping, but she was unable to do it. Everyone helped, except Tess. Liz wasn't disappointed. She already figured that Tess wouldn't want to help her. She was the human that took Tess's supposed husband, and here she was, turning into an alien. The line between humans and aliens were blurring. There was no longer a "You're human so you're not in danger, but we, the aliens, are" thought.

Liz 's brain never felt so exhausted before. She was learning how to battle against the Skins, studying for upcoming final exams, and still working at the Crashdown. She never had so much on her plate before. While she was in school, she was trying to figure where the source of her powers came from; what emotions would trigger her power. While working, she would secretly change the food's matter when she cleaned up after the customer. When she was testing her powers in the desert, she was thinking about exams and trying to remember the material. Blast a tree? Sure. But what was the function of transcription and translation in DNA? Right, transcription changes DNA into mRNA, and translation changes that into Protein. Dreamwalk Kyle, avoid Buddha and the naked girls in his dream? Alright, no big deal. What's Polymerase Chain Reaction again? Oh yeah, it is a reaction that uses a DNA polymerase to copy a fragment of DNA by the billions. Yes, Liz was having a _lovely_ time.

It was almost closing time and there was only two customer left in the Crashdown—Max and a woman. As Liz wiped the counter table, trying to remember DNA's base pairing, Max walked over and sat down in front of her.

"Hey Liz."

"A and T, then C and G. A and G are purine, while C and T are pyrimidine," Liz muttered under her breath.

He smirked. "What?"

She blinked and realized what she was doing. "Sorry, just trying to study for the b—"

"Biology exam, got it," he said, finishing for her. She smiled. "Liz, we need to talk."

With teaching Liz how to embrace her newfound powers, they were unable to talk properly about what happened outside at the desert. None of them wanted to talk about it. Zan avoided the subject, Max didn't know how to talk about it, and Liz just pretended it never happened.

She bit her lower lip as her stomach rumbled in anxiety. "Talk about what?" she asked, putting the rag to the side.

Max sighed and stared at his clenched hands. "Talk about the baby, Liz. We have to talk about the baby."

**Flashback** : _As Zan and Max began healing Liz, filling her body with their power, her screams grew louder. Her body was levitating and was glowing a bright green. Her face contorted in pain as her mouth opened like a dark abyss. She could barely keep her eyes open. All she could do was scream into the dark night. Then suddenly, both Zan and Max felt something grip their arms and instantly, they were connected._

"Max, I don't want to talk about it."

"We have to, Liz. The father isn't—"

"No!" cried Liz.

"Liz, please! The father isn't just Zan. It's not just him."

"That's impossible!"

"I know, but we both know it's not."

"It's ridiculous! Zan is the father and the only father."

"Liz, I'm not lying to you. I'm just telling you what I know, what I felt from the baby. The baby sees me as the father too."

**Flashback** : _Max and Zan felt warmth spread throughout their body. They felt loved. But the love wasn't coming from Liz. It was coming from the baby. They watched as a small baby silver handprint appeared from the inside of Liz's stomach, moving back and forth as if the baby was waving to them. In that moment as they felt the connection with the baby grow, they realized the child had acknowledged both of them as its father._

Liz sighed as the feelings of frustration began to take over her. Nothing was ever simple for her. "Baby, why?" she cooed at her stomach. "Why did you have to go and make things so difficult?"

Max smirked at Liz who was demanding an answer from the still growing child in her stomach.

"I don't know what to tell you, Max. It's not like I did it on purpose."

"Liz, you know I still have feelings for you. But this child, I don't know what to do. I've always imagined being a father with you as my wife, having my children, but… this isn't my child."

Liz frowned. "Max—"

"No, Liz, listen, okay? This isn't my child. We did not create it together, but... But I want you to know that I will be there for this child if you need me to. I will be his or her father-figure, even if Zan is the true father."

"Thank you, Max," she said softly, placing her hand over his. "For what it's worth Max, I know I'm with Zan and I'm carrying his child, but I never did stop loving you. You're my first love; that will never go away."

Max smiled. "I still love you too. God, Liz, I don't even know if I'll survive through this war, but just know that, if anything happens, I will love you forever, for as long as I live, whatever time that may be. You're it for me. There will never be anyone else. You're the one."

They had their problems—distrust, betrayal, jealousy, anger—but they never stopped loving each other. For them, it was just impossible. For the rest of their lives, it will always be the other for them. But Liz knew she couldn't choose between Max and Zan. Truth be told, she loved them almost equally, but she did love Max more because he had risked everything to save her life. She never knew someone could love a person that much until Max. He healed her, saved her from the brink of death, saved her from the sad life of being married to a jock (if Kyle had never changed), rescued her from Nasedo and the FBI, and showed her true love. He was her first, and no one ever forgot their first love, especially not a love like this. The child made things worse because the child acknowledged both Zan and Max as the father, which confused Liz even more. How could a child, biologically Zan's, acknowledge Max too? Sure, Zan is a clone of Max, or Max is a clone of Zan, but in the end, it was just peculiar. This child had two fathers.

Max knew he shouldn't. He knew he definitely shouldn't, but he never had much self control when it came to Liz. He leaned over the counter, cupped her cheek and pressed his lips against hers. He held her as best as he could over the table. He needed this.

Reacting based on familiar instinct, as soon as he kissed her, her lips parted to accept him. She softly pressed a tender kiss to him. It was warm, not too dry nor too wet; just perfect. She knew she shouldn't, but it felt like coming home after a long journey. They both sighed at the familiar contact. It had been so long, but never did they forget what it was like to kiss the other. He pulled away, staring into her eyes with a smile. She smiled, feeling both happy and guilty. She placed her hand over his on her face, gave it a squeeze, and took it off her cheek. Max, weakly smiling, knew this kiss would not change anything. Liz was with Zan and that was it.

"Excuse me, Miss?" asked a customer.

"I'll be right back," Liz said before walking over to the woman. The woman handed her some bills and her receipt. As Liz's hand touched the woman's, she saw a flash.

**Flash** : _"Give me your money," cried a mugger as he appeared from the dark._

_The woman stumbled back with fear as she saw the gun in her face. "No, please, I have children. Please, don't!" she cried as the gun went off and shot her._

Liz snapped back to reality as she watched the woman walk out of the Crashdown. Max, quickly seeing something was wrong, rushed over to her. "Liz, what's wrong?"

"That woman that just walked out of here…"

"What about her?" he said, watching the woman depart.

"I think she's going to be murdered."

Smoothing her hair with his hand, he worriedly asked, "What are you talking about?"

"She was walking down an alley and there was a man with a gun," she said, nervously.

Max's forehead scrunched up. "Are you telling me you just saw the future?"

"I saw something. We have to go after her!" she cried, chasing after the woman with Max running behind her. "Around here!" she said as they turned around the corner to the dumpsters by the Crashdown.

Just like Liz had seen, a man, dressed quite shabbily, jumped out from behind a dumpster. He approached the woman and took out a gun from behind him. He held it up to the woman's face.

"Give me your money!" the man shouted, darting his gun in the woman's direction.

The woman jumped in fear and collided with the side of her car. Clutching onto her purse, she spoke fearfully, "No, please, I have children." The mugger grabbed her purse, ignoring her pleas, but she wouldn't let go. "No, please—" Just as the gun lowered to the woman's chest, Max instinctively used his power to make the gun handle burn under the robber's grip. The man dropped the gun, hissing in pain as his fingers were lightly seared. Seeing that he was no longer alone with the woman, he ran off in fear. The panicked woman turned around and saw the familiar waitress from the café she had just been eating at.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Not answering, Liz grabbed Max's hand and together they took off into the night.


	34. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "The Departure" (Season 1, Episode 21), "To Serve and Protect" (Season 2, Episode 11).
> 
> I realize it took Liz a while for her to get her powers, but to fit with my storyline, Kyle will develop his powers early.

_Someone's gonna fall in love in here tonight,  
someone's gonna let their guard down  
one last time.  
Maybe they once locked eyes,  
perhaps they just decide,  
but someone's gonna fall in love in here tonight._

_In a dark room, with our secrets,  
thinking no one sees,  
but still they always know.  
Whisper to me softly,  
"I'm yours"  
until we know that it's time to leave.  
Act as if this is forever.  
Assume the roles we could never be  
_' _cause all these friends of mine  
would like to think that  
they've found the one.  
But tell me that with us it's different.  
Tell me that we've just begun._

_Someone's going home alone again tonight._

_A quiet drive back  
to a cold house down the road.  
With nobody left to fight  
and no one to hold you tight,  
someone's going home alone again tonight._

_In a dark room, with our secrets,  
thinking no one sees,  
but still they always know.  
Whisper to me softly,  
"I'm yours"  
until we know that it's time to leave.  
Act as if this is forever.  
Assume the roles we could never be  
_' _cause all these friends of mine  
would like to think that  
they've found the one.  
But tell me that with us it's different.  
Tell me that we've just begun._

 _Whisper to me softly,  
"I'm yours"  
until we know that it's time to leave  
Act as if this is forever,  
Assume the roles we could never be  
_' _cause all these friends of mine  
would like to think that  
they've found the one.  
But tell me that with us it's different.  
Tell me that we've just begun._

" **It's Just Begun," She Wants Revenge**.

* * *

**May 16, 2001, Wednesday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Isabel sat on the unfamiliar bed, taking in the room. Kicking off her sandals, she leaned against the headboard. There were posters of unknown bands gracing the walls, shelves and shelves of poetry and computer-help books, and concert tickets pinned to a bulletin board. Not like a typical guy room with a Baywatch poster on the wall, but not like a girl's room where it was super neat. It was such a... It was such a Alex room. She watched as Alex, who sat in his chair in front of her, strumming lightly on his guitar.

She had gone out on dates before, but never did she let anyone truly see her. Why? Well, the fact that she was an alien made a pretty good reason for her to be so cold and defensive. But then dorky Alex Whitman came crashing into her world with the help of Liz Parker. He was constantly around her, trying his best to comfort her even when she didn't want it.

She wasn't attracted to him at first. He was the complete opposite of what she liked in men. She liked men who were built, suave, and enough confidence to rival her own.

And she had met that man—Jesse Ramirez. He was the new lawyer at her father's firm and when she first saw him, her mouth dropped open. He was tanned with lips that begged to be kissed. His hair fell just over his brown eyes. He had the body of a fireman, filling in all the right places of his clothes. He introduced himself to her, flirting with her as clear as day. His eyes observed her from head to toe, letting her know he appreciated her physique.

Compared to Jesse, Alex Whitman was tall with normal brunette hair. He was lanky and wiry, but muscular in his own way. Instead of confidence, he was constantly nervous, always stuttering and hesitant on what he said. He was everything Jesse wasn't, but there was one thing that separated them two—love. Alex loved her. Out of all the men she had gone out with, they had claimed to love her. Truth be told, they only wanted her body. Perhaps Jesse could love her, with time, but for Alex, he saw right through her and loved what he saw. Sure, Alex's love for her was also love for her beauty, but he never tried to flirt with her. He knew he didn't have a chance and kept his love locked away while he was there for her as a friend. What guy did that for her? No one. She could hurt him time and time again by going out with other men, but he was still there, being her friend. Other men would all start to flirt as soon as they meet her and then ask her out, but not Alex. He tried to make her smile, make her laugh, make her happy while other men just boasted about themselves as if to impress her. Never had she seen such love etched on their faces like Alex's. All he had to do was look at her and she could feel it. His eyes took her in as if she was a piece of art—fragile and meant to be admired by all. Soon, Jesse was off of her mind and it was nothing but Alex in her head.

Over time, especially with Lonnie's help (whom she still had not forgiven), she began to see him in a whole new light. They had gone out to a couple of dates, if you could even call them dates, but there was nothing spectacular about them. He didn't go all out like Max would do for Liz, but he didn't take her to crappy places like Michael would take Maria. Alex brought her to places that made her comfortable like a small café or an art museum. She was just happy to spend time with him, enjoying the calmness he installed in her. He was sweet, caring, and he truly loved her for her and not just for her looks. He saw deeper than just her beauty. He saw her for the person she truly was.

Softly strumming, Alex smiled, letting the happy wrinkles show around his eyes. As his eyes connected with Isabel's, he sang, " _So let me in. Oh, please tonight. Don't let this end tonight 'cuz I'm starting to fall. So let me in._ "

Isabel smiled at the familiar song that she had once heard when she dreamwalked him a while back. Moving towards him but still sitting on the bed, she placed her hand against his on the guitar, stopping his playing. Alex was her knight. He'd be the one that could give her her fairytale ending. And so, she pressed her lips against his, letting him in.

She was happy.

He was happy.

They were both happy.

* * *

Kyle sat in the dark, pondering what his life would be like now. As much as he loved to go to Buddha and ask him to help guide him through this difficult time, he was sure Buddha had no answers for all things alien related. He was pretty sure even Buddha hadn't seen this coming—Kyle Valenti was now a half-alien. He was born as a human and in the middle of his life, when he should be bedding gorgeous women and having the time of his life, he had turned into something... something not normal.

 _Only in Roswell, New Mexico_ , he thought to himself.

**Flashback** : _"Kyle, give me that gun. What are you doing with it?" hissed Deputy David (aka Dave) Fisher. "Get out of here. Go hide," he ordered._

_Kyle, listening to Deputy Dave, hid behind a white board. What was going on? He had come because Max Evans and the others had his father. He wanted to help get his father back, but what could he do without a gun? He was sure the others had a gun. He suddenly felt very vulnerable._

_In mid-thought of wondering if his father was alright, gun shots were fired and a great white flash blinded him. He tried covering his eyes, but instead he was thrown back by what almost felt like a tackle from a five hundred pound football player._

_His chest began to burn immensely. With his weak hand to his chest, he felt something smooth and liquidly soak through his fingers. His chest was open; he was bleeding._

_Jim checked over the pulse of Agent Pierce who he once knew as Deputy David Fisher and found no pulse. "He's dead," he said. It was over. It was finally ov— As his eyes roamed over the dead agent's body, he noticed another body underneath the fallen board. He hesitated. What was this bad feeling that suddenly overwhelmed him? With a shaky hard, he lifted the board and froze. It was his son. Kyle was lying on the floor with a bullet hole in his chest._

_"No," he said. No, he stated it. It took him only one more second of hesitation before he gathered his fallen son in his arms. "Oh no. Oh god! No, Kyle!" he began to scream. This was his son, his baby boy that he raised. "Aw, geez, no. NO, KYLE! Help me. Somebody, help me!" he cried. He rocked back and forth, trying to stop the bleeding, while his tears fell onto Kyle's shirt, soaking his light grey shirt. He couldn't lose his son, not like this. Kyle barely lived. He was at the prime of his life. "KYLE!" he screamed, trying to keep his boy conscious._

_Kyle could only feel the burning pain. He felt weak and tired as if he had just ran around the school track for hours. He gripped onto his dad's arm and looked at him with gasping lips. What should he do? He didn't know what to do. He never anticipated on being shot. What should he do?_ Dad would know what to do _, he thought. But Kyle felt his father's tears and knew he didn't._

_Max and Michael rushed over with everyone else behind them. They were all still shocked that Agent Pierce was dead, that the man who had been hunting them was finally gone. In other circumstances, they would have been celebrating, but now they could only watch. Kyle was innocent. He had done nothing to deserve this. He was just an innocent bystander in all of this mess._

_Jim Valenti knew what Max could do. He knew what he did for Liz Parker. He just needed to convince Max to help him. He saw the hesitation in the Evans boy's eyes. He saw it, but he was determined to let nothing stop him. Max Evans had to help him; he just had to. Looking at Max with pleading eyes, Jim whispered hoarsely, "Save my son, please. Please! Save him! He's all I got. Oh god, Kyle!"_

_Before all of this, if Max had seen Kyle lying in the middle of the street, bleeding to death, he may not have moved to save him. After all, it was Kyle Valenti, someone he didn't really know or cared for. He would have felt bad that Kyle died or perhaps maybe a little guilty that he had this gift to heal and didn't use it. But he had no motive to help him. He had absolutely none. His main concern was keeping his true identity concealed and protecting his family—his alien family. But things were different when Liz Parker was shot. She was the girl that had his heart since he was a child. That was enough motive. He didn't know her as in social circles, but he knew her inside and out. He knew her like nobody else knew her. He barely held a conversation with her because he was just her bio lab partner. That was their level of so-called friendship. Liz was this bright star that moved in between circles, helped people, and just made the room seem brighter. Just seeing her smile and be happy was enough to comfort him. He didn't care if she never knew who he was, as long as she was happy. After all, he was this quiet guy that did what he was told and remained invisible among the crowd. But he broke out of that shell when he couldn't just stand by and watch the love of his life die in front of him. He had a gift and he would use it to save the ones he loved. Since he healed her that day, his secret was constantly threatened to be exposed. He let outsiders in; he let humans know the truth about him and Isabel and Michael, and they weren't afraid. Now at the height of full exposure, he let in another human and that human, Jim, wasn't afraid as well and even helped him. And so Max crouched over the shaky body of Kyle Valenti and placed his hand over the bullet wound. Like he had done with Liz, he formed a connection and began to heal him. Soon the bullet had dissolved like it had never pierced Kyle's skin and the wound closed on his now flawless chest._

_When Kyle found himself regaining energy, but still weak, he became conscious of everything around him. In the arms of his father and with Max Evans hovering over him, he asked, "What's going on? What the hell just happened to me?" He could've sworn he had been shot, that he was dying. Now he was breathing and alive with no bullet wound, but just a hole on his shirt._

_Jim held his son tighter and looked at Max. "I don't care who you are or what you are. I'll be here for you. I'll be here for you."_

"God," Kyle groaned as he buried his face into his hands. "I'm an alien," he said, testing how it sounded to him. "I'm an alien," he repeated. No matter how many times he said it, it couldn't sink in. "God, how did Liz do it?" he breathed out. As he rested his head back against the couch in the dark, he closed his eyes and let himself fall into a dream-state.

**Dream** : _A calm Buddha sat with his legs crossed in front of him, his eyes closed with his arms laid on his femurs. As he breathed out, he told his pupil, "Remember, young blossom, my most important words."_

_"Yes, master," Kyle said obediently as he mimicked his master's position._

_"To thine own self be true," said Buddha. "With every inhale, find the center of yourself. With every exhale, release the ties that bind your energy. Inhale… Exhale… Inhale…Ex—" and then he was interrupted by a ringing._

_"Master?" asked closed-eyed Kyle, confused by what was going on._

_"Excuse me," said Buddha as he went to answer the phone in his hand. "Buddha here. Yeah. When? Understood. Prepare the ship. Standby to beam us aboard!"_

_"Master?" Kyle cried as he turned around to look at him._

_"Our enemies have arrived, Kyle. We must leave Earth and face the dark legion."_

_Kyle shook his head with panicking eyes. "No, no, no, no! I'm here for inner peace, not that science-fiction crap!"_

_"Max Evans changed you when he saved your life. You know that. You're an alien now, Kyle. Dude, like, accept your destiny," Buddha said, placing his hand on his shoulder, leading him to the ship was beginning to land._

_"No, I'm not!" he screamed as he noticed Buddha change into an eight-legged alien._

Kyle felt himself being shook. He opened his eyes and found himself staring right into a pair of vivid blue eyes. "AHHHHH!" he screamed as he pushed the person and jumped over the couch, arming himself with a lamp that became unplugged when he pulled it up in the air.

Ava yelped when she fell to the ground on her ass. "What da fuck, Kyle?" she cried. "Jeez, I wake ya up out of da kindness of mah heart and ya shove meh? Fuckin' asshole."

Getting his bearings straight as the dream fog cleared from his mind, he stared as Ava rubbed her lower backside and lifted herself up off the floor. "Shit, shit, shit. Ava, I'm sorry. I was having a nightmare and I—… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you. I would never, never ever, ever, ever do that on purpose, you gotta believe me," he rattled on.

"Whatever. You's gonna put down da lamp or are ya still plannin' on hittin' me wit' it?" she said, pointing to the lamp still in his hands, armed to chuck it at her.

"Oh, sorry," he said, looking at the lamp that was lit. Scrunching up his face in confusion, his eyes followed the plug and found it was resting between his legs—unplugged. "Oh my fucking god!" he cried as he quickly threw the lamp as if it had suddenly burned him, letting it shatter to the ground.

She jumped a little bit from the crash. "God, Buddha Boy! What's wit' ya today? Got a few screws unturned in yer head?" Ava said before she hovered her hand over the pieces, changing it back to its original state. She placed it back on the table and sat down on the couch.

"It was on, Ava! It was on and I did it!"

"Congrats to ya, young grasshopper. Wax on, wax off," she said, making waxing hand movements.

"Ava, this is no time for jokes! No 'congrats'! God, I'm not ready to be this… be this freak!"

Ava sighed. She knew he was having a tough time dealing with this. Liz had it easier because she had Zan and Max supporting her. That and Liz had a much more steady head on her shoulders. Kyle was aloof and always cracking jokes, never once being serious in his life. She pulled Kyle down onto the sofa and made him face her.

"Kyle, you ain't a freak. Because if ya are, I was a freak da minute I came out of mah pod," she said. "Listen to me, Kyle... A POD!" she said, emphasizing her birth place.

"I didn't mean it like that, Ava."

"I know ya didn't. You jus' hafta learn how to deal wit' dis, slowly."

"I don't know what to do!"

"We start slow, okay?" she said, placing her hand over his. "Look at yer TV."

"What about it?" he asked, confused.

"Try turnin' it on."

"I can't do that, Ava."

"Kyle, if ya unintentionally turned on a light bulb, I think ya can turn on da TV."

With a sigh, he slumped further into the couch and raised his hand. Concentrating on the box, he shot his index finger forward as he curled his other fingers back. "ON!" he shouted at the television as if the television had done something wrong.

Ava rolled her eyes at his stupidity. "Kyle, whatcha ya doin'?"

"I'm doing what you told me to do," he said, saddened that it didn't work.

"Yeah, but I'm not tellin' ya to yell at the TV. Just concentrate. Extend yer hand out and let da energy flow down yer arm. Picture in yer mind da television turnin' on. Picture you turnin' it on."

Once again, Kyle raised his hand and did as she said. In his mind, he pictured the square box turning on. He pictured the channels, the sound, the colors... Then the television flickered on with a heavy buzz.

"Oh my god... OH MY GOD! I did it! I DID IT! Ava, did you see that?! I did it!" he said excitedly, quickly grabbing Ava and planting a kiss on her cheek.

Ava blinked in surprise before cracking a smile. She couldn't get rid of it. It just grew bigger and bigger till she exposed all her teeth. If she could smile a smile that revealed her gums, she would. That one kiss made her tingle to her toes and she couldn't stop the excitement that coursed through her. Covering her smile, a little annoyed at herself for getting so worked up over a simple kiss on a cheek, she coughed into her hand and tried to calm herself down. She was Ava, a cool chick with one name from New York that did not fall at men's feet. She fought and tricked men bigger than Kyle. So why was she smiling like a cornball?

Picturing the TV again, he shouted, "Channel 15!" It changed to channel 15. "Channel 23!" It changed again. "I'm doing it!"

Ava felt the urge to pat him on the head like he was a puppy who just discovered how to walk up the stairs. Sure, turning on the television was a feat, but would he be able to help in time when the Skins roll into town? "Congrats, Kyle. Ya did it!" she said, clapping her hands in support.

"Unscrambled porn!" Kyle said excitedly at the TV.

Ava scrunched up her face in disgust and gave him a What-the-Hell look. He was cute, and now... Not so much, but oddly, she appreciated his true guy honesty. "You're an idiot."

Ignoring her remark, he thanked her with a hug. She patted his back, feeling uncomfortable. She was never used to hugs, but she liked the feeling of his muscular arms around her petite frame.

"Thanks Ava," he said, pulling away, noticing how close they were now sitting. He couldn't help it, but she was just too damn close, so he pecked her on the lips with his and moved away. He scratched his head and laughed. "Look at me, Kyle Valenti. TVs don't stand a chance against me. I'm Superman!" he said, changing the subject.

Blinking in surprise seemed to be the popular behavior in Ava today because she was left a little dazed. The kiss was too short to properly feel anything. Hell, she barely felt his lips on hers, but she couldn't help but feel the cornball inside her burst out in screams. Her feet felt like jumping up and down. She pushed it back. "You's an idiot, Kyle Valenti," she said. "But a cute one." She snickered. This wasn't like her at all. She didn't fall for guys with one tiny little kiss. She just didn't. "So, Superman?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Ya call dat a kiss?" Before he could even stammer an answer back, she took his face in her small hands and kissed him, pushing him back on the sofa.

Kyle let out a muffled yelp when he felt her body on top of him. He tried to pull away but when her tongue licked across his lower lip, he couldn't help but flick his tongue against hers. His hands dropped from her streaked hair to her hips while she grinded herself down on him. He tore his lips away from Ava's and sucked in a breath when he felt her hands tug his flannel pants down.

"Ava?" he hesitatingly asked.

"For yer reward, Valenti, for doin' such a good job of bein' a freak like me, I'm givin' ya a reward," she said with a wink. As she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath, she slid down to his prominent bulge and showed him just how hot alien sex was.

* * *

"We need to talk," Maria said breathlessly as Michael began to plant kisses down her neck. He grunted as if in agreement but made no movement to stop his attack on her body.

Maria had honestly came over to Michael's to talk, to only talk. But as usual, somehow they started to fight over something stupid. Then Michael pinned her to his sofa and began to ravish her with his lips. She couldn't stop him even if she tried. Something about Michael and his kisses, the scent of him filling her senses, made her lose control. Her legs automatically parted to accept him as her arms slid around his neck.

"No, Michael, we have to talk—hmmm, that feels good," Maria said, closing her eyes in pleasure.

Michael knew Maria talked a lot. "A lot" may not even be enough for the rate of which her mouth moved. She had a beautiful voice, deep and rich, but once she started to rant, she became annoying in his eyes. Kind of like the parents in Snoopy. Just "wonk wonk wonk wonk" came out of her mouth, plus a few smacks to his head by her hammer hand. So he'd block out whatever she was bantering about, focusing on her ruby lips move back and forth. But like many times, in order to shut her up, he used himself or more so, his lips. As his large hand grazed against the side of her breast through her shirt, he discovered she was wearing a lacy bra. Excited, his hands traveled under her shirt and cupped her warm breast, groaning at the feeling of her nipple digging through the bra and into his palm.

Maria felt like absolutely dying. Her body was on fire and she couldn't breathe. He wasn't letting her talk. He just took her like she was rightfully his. She should be angry but secretly she loved how possessive he was, but she would never let him know that. His tongue just kept fighting with hers and when his hand began to massage her tender breasts, she forgot what she wanted to talk about. She loved him. Being apart from her made her so angry and lonely. She just wanted to be with him. Screw everything else.

When Michael felt Maria's hands attack his belt buckle, he chuckled out, "I thought you wanted to talk."

"Screw talking. I want you," she whimpered out as his finger pinched her nipple.

Then there was nothing but breathless moans when their pants slid away from their legs.

* * *

Rath leaned farther into the chair and growled as he felt Lonnie's mouth slide down his cock. "Fuck, kitten, keep doin' dat and I might not last," he said with a smirk as he watched her head bob up and down.

Pulling away from him, slightly disappointed, she pulled the zipper of her vest down, revealing she was wearing a leather bra. "Well, we can't have dat, now can we?" she winked at him and climbed onto his lap. Her hands pushed his pants further down till they were pooled at his feet as his hands tugged the bra straps down. His mouth found its way to her nipple, scrunching the leather material in his hands. Biting back a cry, she dissolved her thong with the help of her powers and impaled herself on top of him, loving the feeling of her being completely filled by Rath. He was a perfect fit.

Pressing his face against her chest, he nipped at the soft skin in between her breasts. He slid his hands under her skirt and placed them on her hips, he began to help her move up and down. He watched her half-clothed pleasure herself. Her eyes were focused on his, her lips parted. She was so warm, too warm against his cool skin, and he loved it.

* * *

"Khivar, I bring more news of the royal seven," Tess said.

Khivar, clearly pleased at her short mini-skirt and the almost transparent white t-shirt that showed just how pink her nipples were, ignored what she was saying and led her to his bedroom where he threw her onto the bed.

Knowing exactly what was going to happen, Tess got her knees and clutched onto the bedpost as she felt the back of her skirt flip up, revealing herself to Khivar. She tried not to moan as the cold air hit her exposed lower part of the body.

He slid her panty off her legs, enjoying the sight of her trimmed pussy in front of his face. Dipping his fingers inside of her to make sure she was ready for him, he pushed his not long but girthy penis into her. Wrapping his fingers around her blonde curls, he tugged her hair back as he repeatedly slammed himself in and out of her.

She was a good fuck.

* * *

Sitting in the uncomfortable silent room, Liz eyed both Max and Zan whose eyes were glued to the television screen. Zan had come over with a scary movie, wanting to spend the night with her, but then Max suddenly showed up and invited himself to their movie night. She was now sitting in between them on her sofa, nervous as both their legs brushed up against the sides of her own legs. She could feel the heat radiate off their bodies.

What was she to do? Max was her first love and she would always love him like he was oxygen, but then there was Zan—the father of her unborn child whom she loved as well. He was her water. They looked so alike, minus the tattoos and piercing, and they both wanted her. Two gorgeous, absolutely sexy, loving men wanted her, a little town girl.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she could smell their scents. It was bad enough with one, but now she had two. Both her mind and body were going into overload. Her heart picked up speed and as a result, her baby started moving. Whenever one of them was around, the baby would start squirming but that might be because of her heart racing. She couldn't control herself. She just felt drawn to them both, just like her baby was to both of the men.

How could a unborn child possibly know who his or her father is? How could a fetus connect with the two men and say both were his or her father? No matter what question Liz had, in the end, the answer was always the same—"Right, it's an alien baby."

**Flashback** : _Liz shook her head. "Max, I don't want to talk about it."  
_

_Max was frustrated. He knew she didn't want to talk, but he had to make her. It wasn't just about her and Zan anymore. He was involved too. "We have to, Liz. The father isn't—"  
_

_"No!" she shouted.  
_

_"Liz, please! The father isn't just Zan. It's not just him."  
_

_"That's impossible!"  
_

_"I know, but we both know it's not."  
_

_"It's ridiculous! Zan is the father and the only father," she stated, hoping to make herself believe her own words.  
_

_"Liz, I'm not lying to you. I'm just telling you what I know, what I felt from the baby. The baby sees me as the father too," he pleaded. As soon as the words left his lips, it hit him—he was a father._

Zan was the father, but so was Max. This situation was just too confusing.

**Flashback** : _When Max and Zan was trying to heal Liz in the desert, trying to reverse the damage her alien powers was doing to her body, they found themselves inadvertently connected with the baby. The small yet very undeveloped child placed its tiny hand against the wall it was encased in and greeted the two. The baby sent off short bursts of love to them along with the message that the two could not misunderstand—"Hi daddies. I love you both!"  
_

_Max and Zan withdrew their hands from Liz, breaking the connection. They looked at one another to confirm with the other that they did in fact hear what they thought they heard. There was no mistaking it.  
_

_Zan's eyes grew big and his fist went flying into Max's face. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, ASSHOLE?! WHY IS MY BABY CALLING YOU 'DAD'?!" He jumped on top of fallen Max and began to pummel him while Max fought back with just as much violence.  
_

_All Liz could do was lay completely exhausted in the desert with her hand on her ever-growing stomach._

For the past few days, Zan and Max—as if they were on a contest, vying for the father title—began to shower her with constant love. Zan constantly cooked her her while Max sent flowers. Max massaged her feet while Zan did her shoulders. They were slowly driving her nuts because as much as she loved them both, she could not choose. But it wasn't really up to her. In her mind, they were like one person, and the baby wanted both of them. Groaning, she wondered what it would be like if Future-Max had never disappeared and was stuck in this time. Perhaps the baby would acknowledge him as the father too. Three Maxs or Zans would surely kill her. And suddenly, a very unlike-Liz thought came into her mind.

Blushing furiously, she felt her face heat up as the sudden fantasy of her being with Max and Zan at the same time popped in her head. She could picture their bodies pressed against hers. An image of her panting with ecstasy as Max and Zan pleasured her with their hands and mouths flashed in her head. And what if Future-Max hadn't left and he joined in?

 _Oh god, I need air_ , she thought. She excused herself and went into the bathroom, leaving the two men alone together. She splashed some cold water on her burning cheeks, trying to get a grip on herself. It wasn't enough. She let the cold water fill up in the sink and dunked her face into the icy cold water. My god, she was horny.

While Liz was in the bathroom trying to unhorny herself through breathing exercises and practically drowning herself, Max and Zan had met each other's gaze and scowled at each other.


	35. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "Wipe Out!" (Season 2, Episode 7), "The Departure" (Season 2, Episode 21), and "Four Aliens and a Baby" (Season 3, Episode 17).
> 
> The next chapter is the last chapter! But have no worries. There will be an epilogue, or perhaps a two-part epilogue if I'm not lazy.

_I'm surrounded by freaks who believe when I speak,  
that I worship the ground that they walk with their feet.  
With their suits and their ties, and their wherefores and whys,  
and the cast that they hide with their smiles and they lie.  
And they don't give a damn till the day that you crack,  
and you flip and find out that you want to sit back.  
But they laugh at me, mom, and they laugh at me  
_… _And you know that it keeps me from losing control,  
it's the only thing that's keeping me from slitting your neck, ya'll:_

 _Don't you push me.  
Don't push your luck, baby, coz you're fuckin' with the enemy.  
Don't you push me,  
_' _coz I can be your best friend or your motherfuckin' enemy.  
Don't you push me._ _  
Don't push your luck, baby, I can be your worst enemy.  
Don't you push me,  
_' _coz I can be your best friend or your worst fuckin' enemy._

_Don't… you… push me!  
Don't… you… push me!_

" **Don't You Push Me," Tribal Ink**.

* * *

**May 26, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

Something was wrong with Tess; Ava knew it. There was something wrong about her. Something that made Ava feel uneasy and worried. Tess had done nothing out of the norm (besides try to seduce Max several times), but Ava knew there was something going on. It was just a feeling, but a gut feeling that had consumed her mind, filling her with nothing but panic.

People always said twins had some intuition about each other. That twins could sense what the other would do or say, or even sense if the other was in danger. So was this feeling Ava felt exactly that? That she felt like her twin was not... normal? Not not normal in the sense that she's an alien, but not normal in that Tess wasn't who she appeared to be. Every time she was around Tess, it was as if all the panic alarms inside her went off. She sensed Tess possessed something she didn't have herself. Something dark. Something sinister. To be frank, she kind of felt like Tess was DoodleBob and she was Spongebob. Yes, DoodleBob and Spongebob; it was a great cartoon to watch in the mornings or when you had nothing better to do and wanted to watch some mindless show.

Ava had her reasons for feeling this way though. Tess Harding was cold as if she lacked any human emotion. She would have a smile on her lips but as soon as people turned their backs, the smile drops into a sneer; one that bared teeth. She walked around as if she would kill anything on sight that got in her way. She regarded others, especially humans, as something underneath her. She preached the destiny book at the royal squad, trying to convince them they belonged with their destined mates. Yet Ava was the complete opposite. Sure, she could be cold but that's only first impressions. Sure, she did feel she was above the humans but some were okay; fact: some are her very good friends now. Hell, she's sleeping with one! And she never believed in the whole destiny thing. Maybe once, but no damn book could ever tell her her destiny. Her and Zan? Pffftt.

Curious about what was wrong with Tess but unwilling to confront her face-to-face, Ava decided to dreamwalk her. Lonnie had taught her the steps of waltzing into someone's dream a long time ago. It really helped when she needed something to blackmail Rath with.

As she laid on top of Kyle's bed, cuddled underneath the blankets that smelled of the jock, she ran her fingers lightly over the photo frame that held a picture of Jim, Kyle, and Tess. She ignored the jealous feeling that stirred inside of her at the sight of Kyle's arm around Tess's shoulder. She scrunched her face and stuck her tongue at the picture of Tess. If she had a chance to switch places earlier with Tess, she would have taken it. She liked Kyle... a lot. He was refreshing and the one male human that hasn't seemed to let her down yet. He acted like himself, like a guy, and didn't pretend, didn't lie, to her. She liked his toothy grin and how he never ceased to stop being a little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Yeah, she liked him a lot but she would never admit that to anyone.

Sticking her tongue out again at picture Tess, she tapped her finger on top of Tess's face and let herself get sucked into Tess's dream.

**Inside Tess's Dream** : _It felt as if someone had suddenly picked Ava up and dropped her to another place. Everything was blurry and very quickly, she felt unwell. Stumbling around, she resisted the urge to heave in both the dream world and in real life. Dreamwalking was obviously not a power she was meant to have thus making her feel weak and very queasy, much quicker than what Lonnie and Isabel would feel. Her body felt like someone ran over her... twice._

_Trying to make her way around, she found the darkness of the room suddenly change to the setting of West Roswell High School. The dream world was being created; it was getting stronger as Tess fell into a deeper REM sleep. Stood before her were the students who stood paralyzed, silently watching with frozen stares. They seemed to be in a trance. Confused, she made her way to the front, to what they were all staring at._

_Tess was sitting on a throne next to Khivar, the enemy leader. There she sat with her legs crossed, a sinister smile on her lips. Her arm was draped over Khivar, whispering something into his ear._

_Ava was confused. Why was Tess sitting next to the enemy? She then gasped when she saw herself and all her friends shackled to poles._

_"Prepare to die," Khivar said evilly with a laugh, pressing a kiss to Tess's hand._

_"Tess, why are you doing this?" pleaded Max._

_Tess snickered. She signaled one of the soldiers and the uniformed man placed his hand on Alex's chest._

_"No, no, please don't—" Alex began to say only to let out a scream as his body glowed._

_"ALEX!" Isabel cried out, struggling against the chains that bound her._

_But no one could stop it. The soldier burned a hole into Alex's chest, allowing Tess to see the other side right through him. Alex limped downwards; blood dripping down his body._

_"You fucking bitch! I WILL KILL YOU!" screamed Isabel who was terrified by the sight of Alex's now dead body._

_Tess shook her head, thinking about Max's question. She spoke, "Because you're weak, Max. You're weak and you're not good enough to be king."_

_"I knew we couldn't trust you," spat Liz._

_"Oh don't worry, Lizzy Parker. Your death will be the most amusing to me," Tess said. Her smile rivaled Khivar's. She raised her hand, letting the light hit on Liz. Her finger slid across the air and suddenly Liz's throat was slit. Choking on the blood that spilled out, Liz's body limped towards the ground, shaking, bleeding to death._

_Forgetting it was just a dream, Ava screamed: "NO, LIZ!" But it was too late. Liz was already dead._

_Tess met Ava's eyes with alarm, seeing Ava stand next to Dream Ava. Then instantly Tess knew Ava had invaded her head. "Ava," she hissed._

Ava shot up off the bed, nearly falling off the bed in panic as she gasped in fear as she broke out of Tess's dream. Fearing that Tess was on her way to come find her, she mindwarped everything and everyone around her as she ran to the Crashdown. She didn't want Tess to find out where she was. She had to tell her friends that Tess was in cahoots with Khivar.

* * *

**May 26, 2001, Saturday; Arizona.**

"Khivar, you cannot expect me to go back there!"

"It is an order, Tess," he said, coldly. He wanted to slap her for addressing him by his first name; how informal.

Tess gasped. "But she was in my head. She's going to tell them that I'm with you! They'll kill me on sight!"

"And whose fault was that? Only someone as stupid as you would dream of our plans. Are you opposing me, Tess?" Khivar asked. His fingers clenched.

She shook her head, fearfully. "No, my lord."

Khivar had no use for Tess. Sure, he had slept with her a couple of times, but it was nothing but sex. A meaningless fuck to satisfy his needs. He would not bat an eyelash if he heard she was killed. She was nothing to him. "I will send you back to Roswell with some men. Let's see if you can capture the royal seven," he said, obviously bored.

He wasn't sure if she would have success in this mission, but he didn't care. Ever since they had slept together, she had become clingy, constantly begging for his attention. She did not understand that it was just sex to him. He wanted to get rid of her. "Do you understand me, Tess?"

"Yes, my lord," she said with a nod and left.

* * *

**May 26, 2001, Saturday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"What do you mean she is with Khivar?" asked Michael.

"I dreamwalked her and I saw her wit' Khivar," Ava replied.

"You can dreamwalk?" Isabel asked.

"I taught 'er how to do it," Lonnie jumped in.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream, a figment of her imagination?" Alex asked.

"Alex, then why would she dream of killing us?" Liz asked. "She may hate some of us; hell, she probably dreams of killing me every night, but when someone dreams of killing us _all_ , that's not a good sign. Especially when in the dream, she's with Khivar."

"Are you sure, Ava? I mean, Tess has been living under my roof for some time now. My dad and I would've noticed something wrong with her," Kyle said.

"I'm sure. I'm positive. She knows I was in her head," Ava said.

"She what?" Max said. "She knew you were in her head? How?"

Ava grimaced. "She… In the dream, she killed Liz and I screamed."

"She killed Liz?" Zan growled who was clearly angry.

"She slit your throat," Ava said to Liz whose hand automatically went to her neck.

"Don't worry, Liz. Nuttin's gonna happen to ya. I'll make sure of dat," Rath said, feeling the urge to protect Liz like he had wanted to of Future-Liz.

"Do you have any idea what's her plan?" What's her next move?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," she said.

Suddenly, she felt her head rip into two. It was as if her skull was being split open; her brain felt cold and exposed. Falling onto her knees, she gripped her head and let out a shrilling scream.

**Flash** : _"Ava, I'll be seeing you," Tess's voice hissed into her head. Then suddenly an image of West Roswell High appeared._

"Oh god," she whimpered as the flash ended and the pain suddenly disappeared.

"Ava, are you alright?" asked Kyle, picking her off the floor and brushing her hair away from her face.

"Tomorrow, at the high school. That's where we fight tomorrow," she choked out.

Everyone could only look at each other in silence with one question in mind: were they ready?

* * *

**May 27, 2001, Sunday; Roswell, New Mexico.**

"Ahh, I see you got my message," Tess said to Ava.

As the gang slowly walked down the hall to her, they were all ready, or as ready as they could be. When Ava had received that flash from Tess last night, the aliens spent all night planning. Maria and Alex stayed behind, safe at Michael's place because they were human and unable to protect themselves. Zan and Rath had to speed Kyle's learning up, teaching him the basics of blasting and putting up a shield. Liz was already prepared. Max and Zan were against Liz coming with them, considering Liz was pregnant, but she convinced them that she knew enough to protect herself—that nothing was going to happen. They didn't like the idea, especially since Liz had died in Tess's dream. But when Liz puts her mind to something, she sticks with it. Liz felt confident enough of her powers. She couldn't just sit back and fight. She wasn't willing to let the people she loved die while she sat back and did nothing but wait. She had done it once when Max was in the white room. She could never allow that to happen again.

"I wouldn't have miss it for da world, Tess," Ava said angrily to her twin.

"I can't believe this," Kyle said. "We took you into our home, Tess. We protected you and you were like my sister! And how did you repay us? By joining forces with the enemy!"

She winced at his words because they were true. Jim and Kyle had been nothing but kind to her yet now she was ready to kill them all. "You wouldn't understand," she replied. "You've never even heard my side of the story."

"The murderer has a side!" Isabel said with feigned shock.

Kyle responded, "Of course, I wouldn't understand. Anyone who kills Liz, even if it's a dream, is no friend of mine. I mean, you even dream-killed Alex! What did Alex ever do to you?"

Liz looked at Kyle with a what-the-fuck face. Kyle really sometimes took the worst time to make "jokes."

Tess scoffed. "I was raised by a killer, Kyle. A sick and twisted man! He made a deal with Khivar and I—"

"Don't play the victim here, Tess. You know you're just as bad as Khivar is," Michael said.

Kyle shook his head in disappointment. "Of all the aliens I've met, you're the only one who has no soul."

She clenched her teeth. There was no point in trying to make him or any of them understand. In a few minutes, they would all be dead. Pushing all her human-like emotions aside, she signaled for her army. An army of Skins came marching behind her, waiting for her signal to attack.

"I knew we couldn't trust you," Liz spat.

"Tess, why are you doing this?" asked Max.

She replied, "Because you're weak, Max. You're weak and you're not good enough to be king."

Ava shivered at the familiar words that she had heard from Tess's dream. She hoped this wouldn't play out like in the dream.

"Khivar is the rightful king of the throne. He is strong and he cannot be beat. You're all just teenagers, lost and pathetic over your human lovers. So I made a deal with him," Tess said.

"Khivar's a manipulative power-hungry old man! He's gonna kill ya after all dis," Lonnie said.

"I'm immune. As long as I'm on his side, I'm immune," Tess smiled.

"Ya seriously believe dat shit?" Rath asked.

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "Prepare to die," she hissed at them. Then mayhem broke loose when Tess gave signaled the men. The army came rushing towards the seven and soon there was nothing but blasts and debris flying all over the place.

Michael threw his fist into a soldier running towards him, slamming him into the lockers. He began to punch and blast whoever came in his direction.

Kyle kicked a Skin to the ground when suddenly he was jumped from behind. Rath grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and slammed the guy on Kyle's back with the object, turning him into dust.

Isabel and Lonnie sent objects such as desks to wound the men. Warming up, they began to use their powers to tear down the lights, using the electrical bursts to burn the enemies.

Ava mindwarped some of the soldiers into killing each other. She made them think the other person was her, so they would attack one another.

Liz screamed as a Skin lunged for her and her hand automatically rose to create a shield. The man bounced off, falling to the ground and Zan slammed his boot down on the guy's back. She smiled at Zan and then suddenly screamed when he was knocked down to the ground by a soldier. Max quickly appeared, tore the guy off his twin, and slammed into him with his shoulders, crashing into a locker.

Zan tried to get to Liz, but suddenly he was tackled to the ground by two men. He threw up his shield, making the men fly off of him. But as the royal kings, many of the men attacked Zan and Max. If the leaders were down, then they would win. More and more men came, surrounding the two leaders that were back-to-back.

At the sight of Max and Zan being attacked, Liz began to run over until she was stopped when a hand went over her mouth and another hand wrapped around her neck. She struggled against the person behind her, and saw a flash of blonde curls and realized it was Tess. She struggled against her but Tess held her down with her powers. Liz tried using her powers, but for some reason, she couldn't.

"Tsk, tsk, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Little Lizzy. One wrong move and I might just snap your neck," Tess hissed into her ear. Screw Khivar's plan on capturing Liz and the child. Now was a moment of truth. If Liz was killed, Max and Zan would be brought down. Their world would end once this little human dies. If Tess was forced to, she would kill Liz without a moment's hesitation. That's how much she loathed the bitch.

Liz shivered in fear as Tess's hand fell from her mouth. She struggled against the hand wrapped around her neck. "Let me go, Tess."

"Oh you know I can't do that. Tsk. Do you think I'm that stupid? If it weren't for you, this wouldn't be happening. None of this would have happened. I would've been with Max. We both would have been happy and we would have ruled Antar happily."

"He would never be with you," Liz spat.

"Let her go!" screamed Max who stood a few feet away from them. Zan began to blast off the men that tried attacking Max from behind. Max was frozen solid at the sight of Tess and Liz.

"She's just a human, Max. She's nothing."

"Let her go, Tess. She has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this! She took you away from me!" Tess yelled. Gripping Liz's hair with her fingers, she hissed into Liz's ear, "You're going to get what you deserve, bitch!"

"I was never—" Max began to say, but stopped when he felt Ava's hand on his lower back. Quickly, Ava began to mindwarp Tess.

Michael growled as he was slammed into the lockers by a Skin. The hard metal dented with his body. "Enough of this!" Gripping the enemy by the arms, he head-butted the man, sending him stumbling backwards. He punched the Skin in the area where Courtney told him to, successfully killing him. Michael wiped at the blood that trickled down from his eyebrow to his cheek, smearing it across his face. He sent a blast at the soldier who was on Rath's back, dusting him. An exhausted Rath quickly got up with a nod to Michael in thanks and began to help Lonnie.

Kyle felt his head whip back as the enemy punched him. Growling, he pointed at him and shouted, "Forgive me, Buddha, but I'm going to kick your ass!" He then body-slammed the guy and sent him over his shoulders to the ground.

In Ava's mindwarp, Max walked up to Tess with a smile. "You're right, Tess. Liz is nothing. She's just a human."

"I am?" asked Tess, confused.

"You are. You're right. I was too blinded by my human emotions to see what was in front of me—you. I have been denying it for so long, but I see everything so clearly now. It's you that I want Tess. It's you that I've always wanted," he said to her.

Tess smiled in victory. Never had she thought she would see Max tell her those words that she had longed to hear—that he wanted her. She had waited so long for this. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. You're my queen, and I'm your king. Now let go of Liz, Tess. She's nothing to me. Come here to me," he said, opening his arms to her.

Tess's grip loosened around Liz's neck, but then she blinked in confusion. This was all too good to be true. Max would never say this to her. She knew this. With a sneer, she realized she was being tricked. She was being mindwarped by Ava. She quickly slid her bright hand across Liz's throat. Liz's eyes bulged out at the pain and began to choke, unable to get air as the blood came flowing down her open neck.

"LIZ!" screamed both Max and Zan.

Ava stood there fearfully, watching Liz crumble to the ground. Blood began to pour down the petite girl. The dream—it was happening. Oh god, it was coming true! Feeling a rush of anger like she had never felt before, Ava tapped into something deep within her. A power she never knew she had. She screamed, releasing her power into the air in waves. A fire erupted from behind Ava, wrapping around the enemies and burnt them to ashes. Tess, who was furthest away, was hit by the flames and thrown back into a locker where she fell unconscious.

Zan rushed over to Liz's body as soon as he saw Tess fly away from her. "Liz, oh god, Liz!" he cried. He lifted her into his arms. Her body shook as her chokes grew louder. About to wrap his hand around her neck to heal her, he saw a glow erupt from her stomach that spread across her body. He lifted up her shirt and saw the baby's hand weakly wave back and forth.

"What are you doing? HEAL HER!" Max screamed as he came running over. He saw Zan hesitate and he didn't understand why he wasn't doing anything to help her. He shoved his twin aside and as he prepared to heal her, Zan stopped him. "Zan, let go! What are you doing! She's dying!"

Just as he was about to punch Zan, his twin spoke: "Wait! Look!"

With frightful eyes, Max looked. "Look at what? Zan, stop it!" He didn't know what he was looking at. All he knew was Liz was pale and growing weaker.

"The baby, Max. Look!" Zan said once again.

This time, Max looked more carefully. The baby's hand was sliding back and forth across Liz's stomach. The light grew brighter and brighter. The blood began to lessen. It wasn't flooding out anymore. Her entire body, including her neck, began to glow.

He watched as the blood seeped back into her body through the wound. It was as if someone had rewound the blood pooling out. Her cut flesh curled back into its original state and the slit disappeared, healing away without a scar. It was as if Liz had never been hurt. She was breathing, unhurt, but not conscious. The sudden loss of blood with the large amount of energy the baby absorbed to help Liz, it left her faint.

"What? What's happening? I don't understand."

"The baby, it's healin' Liz." Zan curled his arms around her, letting her rest against his body. "She's fine, she's fine. The baby saved her," he whispered into her neck.

Max ran his fingers through Liz's hair and pressed a kiss to her slightly cold forehead. "Thank god, thank god," he croaked.

They both placed their hands on her stomach, trying to connect with the baby. They sent a simple message: "Thank you." The light disappeared and left were two small silver baby handprints on Liz's belly, much like Max's handprint when he first healed her.

Lonnie saw no enemies. There was just ashes flying in the air. "Ava, where did ya learn how to do dat?" she asked.

Ava gulped. "I don't know. It was awful. I lost control. I tapped into somethin' completely different. Somethin' dark." It was something she never felt before. It was as if there was something that was always deep inside her, waiting to be released. It was just waiting for the right moment to be awakened. It was this darkness that had consumed her for a few seconds and she had no control. She lost all complete control of herself. All she last remembered was thinking about how much she wanted to kill Tess for hurting Liz. Then that rage had consumed her and then unleashed a monster within. She couldn't remember what happened afterwards. It was just pure anger and then darkness.

"Ya think you could do it again?" Rath asked, letting Lonnie help support his aching body.

"I don't want to," Ava said fearfully, shaking her head. It was evil—the power, it was evil. She was sure of it. And for a moment, she feared it was the same evil Tess possessed. Welcoming the warmth of Kyle's arm, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she replied, basking in the feeling of Kyle pressing his lips to her forehead. "How about you, Buddha boy? Are you okay?" she asked, lightly touching the cut on his cheek.

"Nothing I can't handle," he smiled.

Isabel paced back and forth with her cell phone pressed up against her ears. "Alex, Alex! Calm down. I'm fine. I'll see you in a few okay?"

Liz's eyes fluttered open to see Max and Zan hovering over her. "What happened?" she said hoarsely.

"Our beautiful baby, that's what happened," replied Zan.

Max felt uncomfortable. This moment didn't belong to him. The baby acknowledged him as the father but this moment didn't include him. He wasn't with Liz. As he watched Zan embrace Liz, he turned away. It hurt his heart, but he had to. Liz was safe and that's all he needed right now.

"Max?"

He turned around to see Liz looking at him. "Yeah?"

She smiled at him in such a way that it told Max everything he needed. There were no words needed. He smiled back and nodded, and left the two alone.

In the now enemy-emptiness hall, Michael stood over Tess's unconscious body. He stared down the curly blonde girl who looked almost like a child, a very small child.

He felt Max approach behind him. "What should we do?" he asked. He knew the answer, but he needed to hear it.

Max stood taller with his shoulders back. Sternly, he said, "Kill her."

They took her in, they trusted her, and she betrayed them all. This was the price she had to pay.

Max stretched his hand over Tess, but Michael stopped him.

"I'll do it," he said.

"Michael—"

"I'll do it, Max."

Max nodded.

With a shudder, Michael sent a blast down at Tess's chest and kept sending them till he was satisfied that she was dead and could never return ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last, but there will be an epilogue afterwards! Or maybe even a two-part epilogue if I'm not feeling lazy!


	36. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion is here! Do not worry; there will be a two-part epilogue that wraps everything up.

_This one goes out to the one I love.  
This one goes out to the one I've left behind.  
A simple thought to occupy my time.  
This one goes out to the one I love._

_Fire._

_This one goes out to the one I love.  
This one goes out to the one I've left behind.  
A simple prop has occupied my time.  
This one goes out to the one I love._

_Fire._

" **The One I Love," Rosie Thomas**.

* * *

**2027, Friday.**

Adia Behr, twenty-seven years old, sat in her little cubicle with her elbows on her desk and her hands planted on the sides of her face. She sighed as she blinked lazily at the poster in front of her face. The poster was old, crinkled around the sides with the colors slowly fading away. It was a poster that had been at her desk since she first started to work for the Delfino & Fehr company, a firm that… Actually she had no idea what this firm did and to be honest, she didn't really care much either.

All she knew was that she would crunch numbers from the hardcopy paper files into the system and she got paid for it. She sat here during the work days from nine in the morning till five (with a half an hour lunch break) in front of her computer with her fingers positioned mostly over the number keys. She would normally finish early and sit there, staring into space, listening to the clock tick the day away.

So here she sat, staring at her poster of the galaxy system. She wasn't a dork and it wasn't that she didn't excel and enjoy science back in college, but there was just something fascinating about the solar system. The idea of not knowing what is out there, the thought of potential black holes that could eviscerate the entire system, the notion that in any minute a meteor could wipe out an entire planet, sent shivers down her spine. She recalled most of her childhood spent staring up at the stars. Even today, she still longed for something other than what she had been given. She longed for adventure, something unknown and exciting. She longed not knowing what the day would bring.

It wasn't that Adia didn't have a good life. She was adopted by the Behr family, which consisted of Jason the father, Shiri the mother, and Brendan the little brother. Her parents were still very much in love. They were high school sweethearts. In the middle of their college years, Jason proposed and Shiri accepted. After college, they had tried for a child, but it was unsuccessful so they decided to adopt. They went to the nearest adoption agency in Nevada and there rested in a tiny crib in the back of the bedrooms was Adia.

Adia was left at the center anonymously in a small basket with a note that only read, "Her name is Adia. Please find a good home for her." In the basket was a worn down teddy bear whose right eye was hanging by a thread, a CD, and a necklace around her neck.

Upon first site, Shiri had fallen in love with Adia. She had gone from child to child before resting upon the crib. She lightly touched Adia's cheek, which caused her to wake up. She didn't cry, she didn't struggle, she didn't go back to sleep. She just simply stared up at Shiri. Her little fingers wrapped around Shiri's index finger and held on tightly, not wanting to let go. Shiri was taken away by the deep amber eyes Adia had and felt a connection. They quickly adopted her. But later down the road (about six years later), Shiri was miraculously pregnant with Brendan. This came to a shock for everyone, but the excitement overwhelmed everything else.

Adia had the perfect family home. Her parents were as in love with each other as the first day they met in high school, constantly kissing and groping all over the place. She lived in a house with a front lawn and a backyard that had a swing hanging from a tree branch and a tree house at the top. She also had a golden retriever named Nate who lived with her at her place today. She went to a good college and got her Master's degree majoring in English with a minor in Astronomy, but now… she was stuck in a boring job looking at rows and columns of numbers. This was not the job she had been expecting to get. To be honest, she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew it wasn't this.

She didn't know much about her past before the Behr family. She had no idea who her parents were or why they had given her up. All she knew was what was in the basket with her. Today, she still slept with the teddy bear because she felt safe with it in her arms. it connected her to the family she had always wondered about.

Jason and Shiri kept the note and placed it in a photo album of her as a child. They never made it a secret that she was adopted. Instead, they wanted her to embrace the idea and know that though they weren't her real parents, they loved her like she were their own. The necklace remained around her neck today as an adult. It was a weird necklace because it wasn't fully together. It was a piece of a necklace that had been broken and placed onto a leather cord. All she could make out was a round curve that was probably part of an oval. Despite many times of looking for symbols that could match that of the necklace, she was unsuccessful.

The CD held only one song on it. She could tell by the uncut and grainy sound that it wasn't a professional recording. The CD started with the sounds of shuffling and then slowly, chords of a guitar began to fill the air. The voice of a woman began to sing softly. She couldn't help but feel that she's heard this voice before. She did not assume because she knew deep down inside that this was her birth mother's voice.

When she heard the first few lines, she quickly knew this song was addressed to her. Even today, she still listened to it over and over again because it calmed her, because it was the only link she had of her birth mother's. She wasn't angry at her birth parents for leaving her like most orphans were. Upon understanding the lyrics of the song and hearing the sadness in the woman's voice, she realized her birth mother hadn't wanted to give her up. She realized it must have been a life or death situation. Even though she hadn't met them yet, she had already forgiven them because that was who Adia was—kind, forgiving, confident, and strong.

Though Adia was with the Behr family since she was a baby, she wasn't able to adapt to them completely. She called and regarded them as her parents and was close to them, but she didn't feel like they were her _true_ family. She was thankful for the Behr family for taking and raising her, but she couldn't get past the fact that her real family was somewhere out there, possibly looking for her or waiting for the right moment to show up in her life. It was a struggle growing up for her. She used to constantly look at the stars, playing with the broken necklace, and listening to the CD over and over again.

It wasn't until the day she had turned ten that she heard the song on the radio. She was in the car with her parents on their way to Chucky Cheese for her birthday party when she heard it. Quickly screaming which nearly caused her father to swerve on the road, she yelled at them to turn it up louder. Her parents called the radio station and asked who the artist was and who had requested the song.

The radio station said it was an anonymous person bought commercial time to play that song and had paid in cash. There was no other information to go on. After that, every year, on the day of her birthday, she would hear that song on the radio. They would be on different stations and at different times, but somehow, Adia was always on the right station and at the right time to listen to the song. It freaked her out a little, but she knew it was her family trying to communicate to her. If not, they were playing it in her memory.

Snapping out of her daze, Adia rubbed her eyes and yawned. She could hear her friend's radio softly play so no one at the office would kill themselves on hearing only typing noises and nothing else. She let her head drop to the desk. It was twenty minutes till five. She had long ago finished up today's work and now she was waiting patiently. It was a Friday and that meant the world to her because that meant she didn't have work tomorrow.

"Psst!"

Unable to lift her heavy head off her desk, Adia replied, "Yeah, Serena?"

Rolling her head to the side, she looked up to see her best friend hovering over the top edge of her cubicle. Serena was her roommate back in college. At first, they were uncomfortable around each other. Serena was wild and wacky, and unafraid of what people thought of her while Adia was meek and quiet. They didn't run in the same circles since Adia was an English major and Serena was a physics major (who then changed to Theater (to date some guy who turned out to be a cheating jerk) to French (so she could live in France) to finally English, thanks to Adia).

Discovering they both shared the love of the stars, they became fast friends afterwards. She had short black hair and stood two inches taller than her. Serena was quirky and fun—something Adia desperately needed in her life.

"So what are you doing tonight?" her friend asked.

Adia groaned. "Probably going to sleep in tonight. I'm exhausted," she said, yawning to show how tired she was.

"Aw, you're no fun!" said Serena.

"Sorry," Adia said, "I promise I'll go clubbing with you tomorrow."

Serena mumbled something about Adia being like an elderly woman who loved to sleep all day long and sat back down. Adia rolled her eyes and pushed the piece of hair that had fallen and covered her face. She looked at her watch. Fifteen minutes till five. Her foot tapped against the floor in anticipation. "Come on, clock. Just hurry up and say it's five!" she mumbled angrily. She closed her eyes and felt the calm rush of sleepiness rush over her.

" _… I do believe I failed you_ ," sang the radio.

Adia's eyes snapped open and quickly sat up.

" _… I know I let you down_ ," the radio continued, " _Don't you know I tried to so hard to love you in my way? It's easy, let it go._ "

If this song was any other song, Adia wouldn't have had a problem with it. But the fact was this song was the song on the CD she had been left with. This was _the_ song! Her eyes quickly flashed over to her calendar to make sure she hadn't somehow forgotten her own birthday. But it wasn't. Her birthday was months away. Why was it playing, she wondered.

" _… I'm empty since you left me_ ," sang the woman, " _Trying to find a way to carry on, I search myself and everyone to see where we went wrong._ "

Adia shivered as she continued to listen to the song. " _… I thought we could make it, but I know I can't change the way you feel._ " As the song ended, her mouth went dry. Her fingers gripped her desk. Her eyes danced in panic.

"This song goes out to Adia," said the rough voice of the host of the radio station. Adia's eyes nearly fell out of her sockets because never in the years she heard this song had she heard a dedication. Her heart pounded in her ears. The radio seemed so far away from her when it was right in the cubicle over. God, it couldn't be!

"Adia," said the host, "you know who you are." Her eyebrows shot up in alarm and in question.

"Oh my god, Adia, the host is saying your name! It isn't you, is it?" joked Serena from her cubicle. Serena had no idea what that song meant to her. She only knew about the necklace. Adia was glad Serena didn't pop over to her cubicle for if she did, she would've seen Adia about to have a panic attack.

"Adia, wherever you are, turn around," said the host.

Adia's brows dropped and her forehead crinkled in confusion. Running her tongue across her suddenly tight bottom lip, still desperately gripping the table, she slowly stood up and turned around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The song is called "Adia" by Sarah McLachlan.


	37. Chapter 33 - Epilogue: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lines/scenes taken from "Wipe Out!" (Season 2, Episode 7) and "Graduation" (Season 3, Episode 18).
> 
> Pay attention to the dates because they jump around (by months).

_Loose ends, they tangle down  
and then take flight,  
but never tie me down.  
Never tie me down._

_Loose ends, they tangle down  
and then take flight,  
but never tie me down.  
Never tie me down._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall  
is where I land._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall.  
is where I land._

_Loose ends tangle down  
and then take flight,  
but never tie us down,  
and never tie us down._

_Loose ends tangle down  
and then take flight,  
but never tie us down,  
and never tie us down._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall  
is where I land._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall  
is where I land._

_Ahhhhhhh...._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall  
is where I land._

_Off I go.  
Where I fall  
is where I land._

" **Off I Go," Greg Laswell**.

* * *

**June 2001; Roswell, New Mexico.** **  
**

**Flashback – the Crashdown/Liz's room.**

It was always weird going up the Parkers' stairs. Despite the fact that he came up these very stairs so many times, he never got over it. His heart would always continue to try to beat out of his chest. It was the anticipation of seeing Liz, of seeing where she lived, of being in her presence, of being surrounded by all things Liz. With a deep breath, he raised his hand, knocked, and opened her door when he heard her voice inviting him in. He peeked his head through the crack.

Liz was sitting Indian-style on the floor when she twisted her head around and greeted him with a smile. _Beautiful_ , he thought. She was glowing like most pregnant women, but she radiated such energy off of her that it made his heart beat faster. She got up to meet his opened arms.

"Congratulations on getting into Northwestern," he said, holding her tightly.

"Thanks Max, but you said that already today," she smiled.

"Did I?" he pulled away, giving her a Did-I-Really look. "I really don't remember!"

"Max!" Liz giggled as she playfully pushed him.

Zan growled as he silently watched the two interact with each other. Too friendly, they were too friendly with each other, and he didn't like it one bit. "Yes, you did. You said it ten times already. Are you getting dementia, asshole?"

As Liz turned around, Max shot him the middle finger behind her back. "Zan, don't be rude!" she said, placing her arms on her hips.

Zan tried not to laugh at the sight in front of him—a petite Liz trying to scolding him while her belly was beginning to stick out like a sore thumb. He would never get tired of the sight. "You, college girls, think you know everything now."

"Hey, we want to be loved for our minds, not our bodies," said Liz.

"Oh, trust me, Liz. You have a great mind," Max said, secretly flirting with her.

"Yes, she does. She does have a great mind and _**I** _appreciate it," Zan said, not wanting Max to get all the comments in. He knew exactly what Max was referring to and damn it to hell if he was going to let his twin come in and make such comments about his girl.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Max, are you sure about going to Northwestern with me?"

"I've never been more serious," he replied.

Zan scoffed. "I dunno why he has to come. You have me."

"I don't see what good you'll be... Do you know anything about science?" asked Max.

"I know I can kick your ass!" Zan replied.

Liz twitched in anger. When she was her regular self, she would normally be just a little ticked off about them fighting over her, but pregnant Liz made her into this angry volcano that wanted to burst all the time. "Zan, stop it. You both have to realize that I'm going to have you both in my life, whether you two like it or not. So get used to it, buddy!"

Eyeing the lights that began to flicker, Max placed his hand on her back to calm her down. He could feel her power vibrating off her body. It came off in waves. The problem with having alien powders was they were often connected with emotions. There was just no control over them when feelings ran wild. He could feel Liz's powers constricting his body. As soon as he formed a unintentional connection with her, Liz gasped as she began to receive flashes.

"Liz?" Max asked in concern.

She placed her hand over her mouth as she regained her bearings. She allowed herself to bask in horror before she spoke. "We're all going to be killed."

* * *

**Flashback – Michael's Apartment.**

"Do you mean 'all', as in everybody?" Maria asked.

"No. I mean, everyone not an alien is safe. It's just the royal seven and… me," Liz said softly.

Michael frowned. "So? I dream we all get whacked every other night. Why the meeting?"

"Man, you too?" Rath said, lightly smacking his hand against his twin's arm.

"Liz started to have premonitions—" Max started.

"Like from Charmed?" asked Alex, cutting Max off. "Like Phoebe? Because I can totally picture you as Phoe—"

"Alex! Be serious here," said Kyle. "Obviously it's like Charmed. The girls can both move stuff, and Ava can sort of manipulate time because she makes you see what's not there and then time is lost!"

Zan sighed, dropping his head down. Sometimes he wondered why the humans needed to stick around, even if they did know their secret. He liked the guys, but sometimes when they talked, Zan felt like punching them in the balls... hard. "Look, Liz started havin' premonitions from touchin' people."

Max nodded in agreement. "I didn't know it was anything but a while back, she saw a woman about to be killed in an armed robbery. We followed them and were able to stop it."

Kyle leaned forward from his seat in a panic. "Wait, Liz, you said everyone not alien. I'm technically an alien too right now. I mean, I fought in that battle. That means I'm going to get whacked too, right?"

"I don't know, Kyle. I—I didn't see you in my flash," she replied.

Kyle was desperate. He was still young. He couldn't die now, not yet! "What do you mean you didn't see me? So maybe then that means I'm not going to die? That I still have a chance?" Ava hugged him.

"So wait, you believe this—that this could really happen?" asked Alex.

"I think we should all take this seriously," Max replied.

"Okay, so where do we get popped, when do we popped, and who pops us?" asked Rath.

"I don't know," said Liz. "The flashes were sort of impressionistic."

"We need more info," Lonnie said, leaning back on Rath. Just having Liz tell them they were going to die wasn't enough. They needed to know more before they could take action.

"It has to be the Skins. We killed Tess and Khivar's army. He must be coming for us now," Ava spoke.

"Where were you when you had the flashes?" asked Isabel.

"Back at Liz's place," Zan answered.

"You said you got these flashes from touching people," Kyle said.

"Well, Max put his hand on me—"

"On you?" asked Maria with a questionable face that hinted at something perverted.

"Maria! He put his hand on my back and I got the flashes," responded Liz, knowing exactly where her best friend was going with this. Maria, too often, liked to tease her about this love triangle.

"I say you touch some more," Ava said.

"Yeah, you guys can attempt to achieve another flash," Alex said.

Liz began to blush, but when she saw the smoky look on Max's face, she bit her lip and forced herself to stare at the ground. "I don't want to," she said, meekly.

"I guess it seems like the thing to do," Max said, happily ignoring the strained look on Zan's face.

* * *

**Flashback.**

"No, Liz. I refuse it!" Zan yelled, running his fingers through his hair before he sat down on Liz's bed.

"Zan, you can't tell me what to do. This isn't some sort of scheme of Max's. This is our lives at stake here!" she said, getting angry at him for refusing this.

"Why _him_?" he asked. He almost didn't even want to know the answer.

"Zan, you knew what Max was to me before you came along. With Max, it's just… I always get flashes from him."

He grimaced. "Do you think this means something? That you can't get flashes from me?"

Liz took his hand. "No, no! Zan, don't even think like that. I love you and you love me; we don't need flashes to prove it."

"I don't like dis one bit. Not one bit, Angel."

Liz sighed and sat on his lap. Cupping his face and forcing him to look at her, she softly kissed him. "Zan, I love you and I'm with you. Nothing is going to change that."

He clenched his teeth, trying not to let her win but it was useless. Zan was a jealous man by nature, but that was because of Liz. He loved her too much. He already lost her once. No, twice. He couldn't handle it if he lost her again. The first time nearly killed him. The second time just left him apathetic, too frozen to think and feel.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, murmured a "I love you" and caressed his lips against her, showing her exactly who she belonged to. He grinned when she let out a soft moan as he stroked his tongue against hers.

Then the door opened and Max peeked his head in. "Am I interrupting?" They broke apart and Zan bared his teeth angrily at his twin. Liz got off of Zan's lap and ushered Max into her room.

"Liz, if he does anythin' funny, jus' yell. I'm gonna be right outside da door," Zan said before bumping his shoulder into Max's side angrily and leaving.

When it was just the two of them, a heavy silence filled the room.

"So tough job," Max joked, trying to relieve the tension that suddenly filled the room.

"Look, Max, I'm with Zan. Like he said, if you do anything funny... Only difference is I'm _not_ going to scream because I trust you." Even though she said that, she knew she wouldn't really stop him. Instead she'd welcome his touch like a bad relapse heroin addiction. But they had to do this; they had to know more about their impending deaths.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to," he said, holding his arms up in surrender.

Walking towards her, he let her slide herself into his arms. Their arms went around each other's waists. They held each other for a bit, feeling slightly uncomfortable since Zan was right outside the door and everyone was downstairs just waiting for them to get another flash. They tried to be comfortable with each other, but it had been a while since they were so intimate with one another. It was a little weird, but at the same time, it felt like coming home. And the huge problem was there was no flash, which only brought up the question of how long they were supposed to stay like this. Max even tried forming a connection but to no avail. Unable to relax, both had formed an emotional wall which prevented each other from connecting.

Liz pulled away enough to look at Max in the face, her arms still around him. "This is ridiculous. I mean, we're good. We're friends. We can do this. I mean, if we made a connection involuntarily, we can do it again."

"Uhh, yeah," nervously said Max. Having Liz in such close proximity was wrecking havoc on his body. How could he remain calm when her body was flushed up against his own? He was hoping his body wouldn't reveal just how much she affected him. She would surely feel him if she were any closer.

"YOU DONE YET?" yelled Zan on the other side of the door with a few hard bangs against the door.

Liz glared in annoyance. "NO!"

"Well, hurry up! We ain't got all day!" he growled.

She shook her head. Sometimes she felt like she was dating a child. "I'm sorry. Zan's not always this..."

"It's okay," said Max. "I get it." _He doesn't deserve you_ , he thought.

"You know what? Just kiss me," she ordered.

"Wh—what?" Did he just hear her correctly?

"Any second, Zan is going to break down the door and I want to find out where all of this leads. I mean, I know what I saw before and if it's true, then I want to prevent our deaths. So kiss me."

"Are you sure, Liz?"

"It's not like we haven't kissed before. It'll be fine."

He nodded, more nervous than before. He leaned his head down and she stood on her toes. Awkwardly, their noses slid next to each other. He could feel her breath on his lower lips. Instinctively, his fingers clenched around her waist. Liz raised her lips to his and when the gap was closed, she let out an involuntary sigh. The last time they had kissed was at the café, right before she had a premonition about the woman being robbed. They hadn't talked or acknowledged it since that night.

When she felt the pressure of his lips on hers, she suddenly felt cold despite the fact that he was so warm. She was wrong. She thought it would be fine, but the kiss was too... It was too familiar for them—the taste, the feel.

Max pulled away. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded and licked her dry lips. All she wanted was to feel him again, so she leaned on her tippy toes and kissed him

He let out a soft groan. This was where Max belonged. Their lips slowly moved as if they had never broken up.

He felt her hand cup the back of his neck and he pressed himself closer to her body. It had been too long. Too long since she was in his arms like this, too long since her body was pressed up against his, too long. This was Liz. He was kissing Liz. His beautiful Liz.

They wrapped their arms around each other as if they couldn't get close enough. Who began where, no one could probably tell. He practically lifted her off the ground, holding her to him. Ripping her lips away from his, she moaned, "Max, hold me," as the flashes came in a rush. Max held her tighter and began to trail his lips down her neck, sucking, licking, gently biting. "Oh god," she whimpered as heat began to pool between her legs.

* * *

**Flashback.**

"So, who's this Bryce McCain?" Rath asked, scratching his eyebrow.

"He's a science fiction novelist and he's going to be at the UFO convention," Liz answered.

"We have less than two weeks before we're all killed," Max stated.

"God, how does this happen? And why now?" Maria asked desperately.

"Probably 'cause we killed Tess," Lonnie said. "She was Khivar's bitch."

"We need to come up wit' a plan as a team," Zan said.

"A team? Zan, look at us. It's ridiculous," Rath said.

Ava kicked him. "You ain't helpin'."

Rath pretended he was going to lunge at her, causing her to yelp and fall back against Kyle. He smiled in triumph and then was quickly serious again. "Fine, then. What's the plan?"

The group looked at both Max and Zan for the plan. They were the King, the leaders. "I'm not makin' any decision for anyone. I'm givin' up the throne," Zan said.

"Me too," said Max. "Michael, you're not my second in command and Isabel, you're not a princess. Right now, we're just fighting for our lives."

"Ditto. You guys decide whatcha gonna do," Zan said. "But we need to start plannin' on how to fight back."

"I've got a better idea. Why don't we get outta here before they land on us? We leave," said Rath.

"You read my mind," Michael said.

"And where do we go?" asked Kyle.

"Anywhere but here," replied Michael. "Let's face it, they know who we are. It's over. We leave Roswell, we leave fast, and we leave as quietly as we can. We all go separately."

Maria blinked in disbelief. She knew what he was asking of them, of her. "Separately?"

"Right now, the only ones in danger, according to crystal ball here, are us—the royal seven—and Liz. So the rest of you are safe. You can stay here," he replied.

Maria scoffed as her mouth moved, but no words came out. She then threw her hands up in the air and let out a controlled aggravated scream. This was so like Michael. He would abandon her at a moment's notice. After all they've been through, all the heart aches and struggles, he was always willing to just up and go. It was typical of him—always one foot in and one foot out the door. "Oh, so now I'm not invited? You're just going to leave me here? This is incred— this is perfect! This is just a perfect way to end this entire, stupid thing. Forget it. Fine. Goodbye, good luck." She began to walk again.

Michael began to follow her, but stopped when he felt Liz's hand on his arm. "Let me," she said and chased after her best friend.

"Maria, wait!" she yelled as she caught up to her.

"What?" she snapped at Liz.

"What is your problem, Maria? What is your problem?"

"I have risked my life! I have given up everything. I mean, every other friend I've ever had, I've completely blown off," she said with her bottom lip quivering. Tears began to pool in her eyes. "My mother doesn't even know me anymore. And now that it's all over, you're one of them. You're part of it. You're going to go off with them and leave me in Roswell, and I'm gonna be stuck here as a waitress for the rest of my life."

Liz stared at her in disbelief. "Can you really look at me and say this? I am most likely about to be killed in twelve days and what are you saying? You're saying that you're pissed off because you're not getting killed too."

"Yes. No." She shook her head. "I just… I don't know. I'm falling apart here, Liz. I know I'm being ridiculous right now. I know I sound crazy. I know—"

"Maria, it's just that all I have heard for the past five months is how you want out of the alien chaos. And now what? You want back in? Which one is it? Do you want in or do you want out?"

"I don't know," she said, grasping Liz's hands. "Which one is better for me? You can see the future, Liz. Tell me. Maybe you'll have a flash. Just tell me. Which one is better for me?"

Cupping her best friend's face in her hands, Liz spoke, "Maria, listen to me. You've got to stop, okay?" It wasn't just Maria who was having a hard time—they all were. But what could they do? What could she tell her best friend who was just as confused as the rest of them? "Who knows, alright? I can see the future and I have no idea. Maybe you just need to try and decide what you want and go get it, okay?"

* * *

**Flashback.**

Burying his face into Liz's hair, Zan took in her honeyed strawberry scent as they laid on her bed. "Baby, where do you want to go? 'Cause anywhere you go, I'm followin'."

She lazily drew circles on his chest with her fingers. "I don't know. I don't know," she said. How could she decide? It was worse than deciding where to go to college. Where she went now determined her future and it didn't include college anymore. College was out of the picture. Liz would never have a normal life after this decision. "Maybe I should ask Max."

Zan scowled and pulled away from her. "Max? Why the fuck do you wanna ask him for?"

"Zan, I—" she said, sitting up.

"No, Liz. You're wit' me now. Why da hell do ya need to know where he's goin'?"

She bit her lower lip. "Zan, I've been thinking and as much as I love you, I love him just the same." She recalled the moment when she told Future-Max that there would never be another person that affected her like Max did. She was sure Future-Max hadn't counted on Zan appearing. She could deny it as much as she wanted to, but she was still in love with Max even if she's carrying Zan's child. Just remembering how much Future-Max loved her, she knew her present-Max loved her just the same. She couldn't just leave him behind like he never existed. She couldn't. And that kiss, it just made it clear to her now—that Max will always be the love of her life.

"What are you sayin', Liz? That you don't want to be wit' me?"

"I do. God, Zan, I do! So much, but I still love Max. I—… I can't choose. I may be having your child, but my heart… I still love him."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't know what to think. The woman of his dreams, the love of his life carrying his child, is telling him that she still loved his twin. He never felt more hurt in his entire life. Shaking his head, he got up, climbed out her window, ignored her pleas, climbed down the ladder, and just kept walking.

* * *

**Flashback.**

"How can she still love ya? She's carryin' my child," Zan said.

He didn't know how he made it to the park or understand why Max was here too, but before he knew it, he was sitting down beside his twin and pouring his freaking heart out. How very unlike Zan.

"Liz and I, we go back a long time and just because she's with you now doesn't mean it's over for us," said his twin.

"I love her and I ain't losin' her to you or to anyone else."

"I love her too, Zan, and I'm not giving up on her."

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

Neither one had the answer.

* * *

**Flashback.**

"I can't choose. I CAN'T CHOOSE, OKAY? You think I want it to be this way? I can't help the way I feel! I mean, I'm so confused right now. I love you, Max, and I love you, Zan. It's not helping matters either that the baby recognizes both of you as the father! God, why can't things ever be simple with you aliens?!" rambled on Liz who looked to be on the verge of a breakdown.

"Liz—" Max began.

"Angel—" Zan spoke.

She paced back and forth, and then she suddenly threw up her arms. "Child, I swear, if you don't stop kicking right now, I'm going to kill both of your fathers!" she yelled at her stomach. "I know you want your daddies. You don't have to kick me every time they're in the room."

"The baby kicks when we're in the room?" asked Zan.

"Uh uh, don't you change the subject mister!" Liz pointed her finger at him.

Zan blanched. He wasn't trying to.

Max tried not to laugh. "Liz, Zan's just trying to—"

"Don't make excuses for him, Max!" she pointed her finger at him too.

Max cringed.

"I don't want you two to make me choose! I can't! I refuse to!"

"You _refuse_ to choose?" asked Max.

"YES! I refuse to choose!"

"But sweetie, you can't have us both," replied Zan.

"And why the hell not?" yelled Liz.

Max and Zan looked at each other, and then back at Liz who was still steaming.

* * *

**Flashback.**

"Are you serious—third grade?" asked Zan.

"Yeah, third grade," replied Max. "I got off that bus and there she was. She was just playing some sort of human hand game with her friends, and I knew she was the one for me."

"Jeez, man. Ya were whipped since third grade?"

"Hey, if you met her in third grade, you'd be whipped too."

Zan smirked. That would probably be true. "I can't believe she's refusin' to choose."

"You're telling me. I'll feel so much better when this is all over."

"You mean when she picks me."

"Zan, did you just not hear yourself say that Liz refused to choose?" asked Max incredulously. "Obviously she's going to choose me. I've loved her the longest."

"Fuck off, man. She's mine."

"You fuck off."

"Oh my god, guys!" cried a frustrated Maria. She had been watching the two men bicker in front of her for an hour about who was going to get Liz.

"You two are so despicable, like two little puppies. _Pick me, Liz! No, pick me!_ Just suck it up and realize Liz loves you both equally. She's not going to choose. I know Liz. Right now, I have a better chance of being with Liz than you guys. You two better get used to the idea of you being with her together."

Zan and Max gave each a look, and looked away, having an odd feeling that Maria was right.

* * *

**Flashback – Somewhere outside Phoenix.**

He smiled, quite pleased with himself. "When my soldiers told me what they had found, I just had to see for myself," spoke Nicholas. He had been searching for her for so long. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What's the matter, Courtney? Too weak to run?" he said to the wounded blonde who was on the ground.

She hissed as her hand pressed against her stomach. This wasn't a flesh wound. She wouldn't survive, not with the amount of blood she was losing. "Leave me alone," she spat.

"Ah, you see, Courtney, I can't do that. You were always the social butterfly. Always the first to make new friends. But what I want to know is where are yours hiding?" Nicholas could imagine telling Khivar that he crushed the renegade group. It felt almost too good to be true.

She would never tell him. Her loyalties laid with Michael a.k.a. General Rath. "I think," she breathed out. "I think I see a chest hair, Nicholas. Way to go."

Nicholas growled. Back on Antar, he was a confident general, but here on Earth, he was barely a pubescent boy. This did not go well with his comrades. How was he supposed to be a great general if he was stuck in a child's body? He grabbed her hair roughly and smiled sinisterly. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way."

Placing his hand on her head, he began to search her mind for answers. Flipping past memory after memory, he dug deeper, looking for something of interest.

Courtney screamed at the pain. It was like her head was tearing into two. The pain was greater than her stomach wound. A hundred times worse. Her memories, her life's moments—it was as if they weren't hers anymore. She tore her head from his hands, panting as soon as the pain lifted.

"Hmm, let's see. You had scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then you slipped into that husk that punk stole from us."

She couldn't fight anymore. He would know all her secrets. It was only a matter of seconds before he knew where her group was. She couldn't let him find out. He may be a boy on Earth, but Nicholas was a great general. He had a great and damaging power. He will win, and she will definitely lose.

"I hope they kill you," she hissed.

"They? I hope you mean the royal seven, if you could even call them that. You've become awfully chummy with them, haven't you, Courtney?"

She glared at him.

"Are you hiding something else?" he asked. He noticed her expression changed. "You are! You have a secret. What do you know?" he said with a delightful tone. He placed his hand on her head once again and dug deeper into her mind. He ripped everything from her hippocampus.

**Flash** : _"If anything happens to me, to us, I want you to be able to save yourself. Now, if I tell you where the Granilith is, do you swear never to tell anyone?" asked Michael._

Nicholas gasped in delight. "Oooohhhh, the Granilith!" he exclaimed happily. They had been searching for the machine for so long. Who knew it was on Earth? They thought it was still hidden on Antar. "That's definitely a bonus. I hope he gave you detailed directions."

As his hand reached for her head, she spat, "Fuck you!" Reaching behind her, she pressed the button on her back, closed her eyes, and disintegrated.

Nicholas growled and then shrugged with a bored look. "Now, that's a soldier."


	38. Chapter 34 - Epilogue: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: It's been fun while it lasted, at least for me. I know this story was quite long and there was a lot going on, but I just wanted something different for Liz, for Max, for Future-Max, for Zan and the dupes, and for the Roswell storyline. Once the story got into my head, I couldn't get it out till I had it written. I hit a few bumps in the road when writing this story, delaying some chapters, but I'm glad I finally finished it. This may be one of my longest fics ever and I don't think I ever want to attempt writing such a long one again.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with this story. I really hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> There are lines/scenes taken from "Wipe Out!" (Season 2, Episode 7) and "Graduation" (Season 3, Episode 18).
> 
> Pay attention to the dates because they jump around (by months).

_I'm running out of ways to make you see.  
I want you to stay here beside me.  
I won't be okay and I won't pretend I am,  
so just tell me today and take my hand.  
Please take my hand.  
Please take my hand._

_Just say yes.  
Just say there's nothing holding you back.  
It's not a test nor a trick of the mind;  
only love._

_It's so simple and you know it is.  
You know it is, yeah.  
We can't be to and fro like this.  
All our lives.  
You're the only way to me.  
The path is clear.  
What do I have to say to you?  
For God's sake, dear,  
for God's sake, dear,  
for God's sake, dear,  
for God's sake, dear,  
for God's sake, dear._

_Just say yes.  
Just say there's nothing hold you back.  
It's not a test nor a trick of the mind;  
only love._

_Just say yes,  
_ ' _coz I'm aching and I know you are too.  
For the touch of your warm skin  
as I breathe you in._

_I can feel your heart beat through my shirt.  
This was all I wanted.  
All I want.  
It's all I want.  
It's all I want.  
It's all I want.  
It's all I want._

_Just say yes.  
Just say there's nothing hold you back.  
It's not a test nor a trick of the mind;  
only love._

_Just say yes,  
_ ' _coz I'm aching and I know you are too._ _For the touch of your warm skin  
as I breathe you in._

" **Just Say Yes," Snow Patrol.**

* * *

**June 2001.**

**Flashback—Roswell, New Mexico.**

Liz hummed lightly to the radio as she lit the candles on her balcony. Ever since she refused to make a choice between Max and Zan, she felt much better. She knew she still had to make a choice but for now, she didn't have to think about it. Not having to decide lifted such weight off her shoulders and with this pregnancy, that's what she needed—a stressed free life. She deserved it.

This past year had been hell. Her heart had been broken so many times, she tried to kill herself, she lost the men she loved, and now she was pregnant. Who would have thought her life would turn out like this? Who thought her second chance would bring the dupes and this baby into her life? Not her.

Then came another problem. She and her friends were going to die on their graduation day. Everything they worked for, all those years of school, was going to end on their happiest day of their lives. Stressed free life apparently didn't last very long.

She felt Max approach behind her. She always found it strange how she sensed him when he was nearby. It was like they were linked. "Liz, I've been thinking about what happened before... when we saved that woman's life. I just... I have this weird feeling about it," he spoke.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I've just been feeling like I have no path, you know? Nowhere to go. Maybe... maybe that's why I've been put here: to help people. Maybe that's what I should do with my life after I leave Roswell."

She smiled. "Like Tom Joad in Grapes of Wrath. Doing good deeds and avoiding the law."

Max smiled. Liz always understood him. No matter what, she was always the only one that would get him. "The thing is I can't do that without you."

"Max..." Liz began to say, nervously looking behind her.

Max sighed. "I know, I know. I just can't be anywhere else without you."

"HEY! Whatcha two whisperin' 'bout?" Zan yelled from Liz's room.

"Max, I would do anything if it means being with you... But I can't just be with you. I love Zan too."

"I don't like how close you twos are standin' next to each other!" continued Zan.

"Shut up, Zan! We're having a moment here!" growled Max.

"A MOMENT?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU TWO ARE HAVIN' A MOMENT?" Zan screamed.

Liz snickered. "It's not nice to tease him like that, Max."

"I know, but it's fun," he smirked with a wink.

Zan climbed through the window and walked in between Max and Liz, separating them. "Let's see ya have a moment NOW."

"Zan, don't be rude. Did you get my booties? My feet are so cold," she pouted.

He scratched his head. He got so caught up in moving them apart that he stopped looking for the knit boots. "Sorry, I forgot." He went back into Liz's room to get them.

Max took this opportunity to open Liz's grill. "A trick I learned from Superman. Let's see if it really works." He picked up a charcoal and clenched it tightly in his hand. A bright light glowed around his fist. He turned away from Liz and wiped the object on his shirt.

Turning around, he got on his knee and held it up to her. It sparkled in the night.

Liz's hand flew to her mouth when she recognized it. "Oh my god..." He couldn't be... But he was on his knees and in his hands were... He was. Oh god, he was!

"Liz, they're taking our home from us. They want to kill us and... they might. But when I look in your eyes, I don't feel angry or deprived. I feel like the luckiest half-human on the planet." He gulped. He had a speech all planned out but now that he was in the act, he could only say what he felt in the moment. "You're pure, you're true, and you're real. And right now that seems like the only thing that's important. I want to be with you Liz... forever."

She wanted to cry, but decided to bite her lower lip instead. "Forever may only be twelve days."

He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her down onto her knees. "Then we'll take those twelve days and we'll live twelve lifetimes," he said, placing the diamond in her palm.

"Liz Parker, will you marry me?"

"I—" she began to reply.

"FUCK HELL NO SHE WON'T!" screamed Zan as he climbed out through the window, threw down the knit boots, and tackled Max to the ground. He reached into his pocket while pinning his twin down and scrambled to put something into Liz's hand.

Surprised by the tackle, Liz didn't know what was happening when Zan grabbed her hand. When she opened her palm, she saw Max's diamond and next to that was a ring. Zan had gotten her a ring! It was gold with small diamonds around the front half of the band.

"Marry me, Liz!" exclaimed Zan, still pinning his twin to the ground.

Max elbowed Zan on the side and flipped them so now he was on top. "I asked first!"

Liz glared at the two. These two—they would never stop. How did her life become this? Most would kill just to find their one true soulmate, but Liz had two and she had to choose. _Screw this_ , she thought. All the love she had felt a moment ago was gone; there was only frustration. With a twitch in her right eye, she clenched her hand that held the two items. A light erupted from her fist.

"Liz, what are you doing?" the men both asked, pausing in their fight but remaining on the floor, looking up at her.

When she opened her palm, they saw the diamond had become the center piece on the ring. She smiled, proud of herself. Humming happily, she slid the ring onto her ring finger and left the two dazed men on the floor.

* * *

**June 2001.**

**Flashback—West Roswell High's 2001 Graduation.**

No longer teenagers. They were all adults now. And it only took about eighteen years to get here, to this one single moment where everyone would leave their parents' nest and go out into the world, making their own decisions. While some had to grow much faster than others, it was still all the same. They all still suffered the same problems, but this moment told them they all made it. Or at least made it for now until they spend another four years becoming the adults they were meant to be.

Maria stood off to the side, just watching. Everything was changing again. Her life had gone from normal to bizarre, to the unknown. What was she supposed to do after this day? Where was she supposed to go? Who did she have left? She stepped to the side, avoiding crashing into a bunch of happy students donned in their graduation clothes. She watched them laugh and giggle, and hug each other. Why couldn't she be happy as well? Why didn't she have the same smile everyone else had? Then she remembered—her closest friends were to be killed in a few days. This wasn't a day of celebration. No, not for them.

Seeing her mom wave to her, Maria swiped the tear that fell down her cheek away and walked to her.

"Maria DeLuca. Oh my baby girl is graduating!" shrieked Amy as she jumped up and down with a clap as if she was a child.

Maria smiled and curtsied in her bright red robe. She laughed when her mother launched herself at her. She held her mom tightly, just savoring this moment.

"Students, please take your seats!" boomed the Principal as he tapped the microphone.

Everyone rushed to their seats, but being too excited to sit still, they continued to talk to their friends. Maria took her seat next to the people whose last names started with the letter D. She turned around and smiled when she found her friends, sitting in various places, all looking at one another.

"Congratulations, congratulations West Roswell High class of 2001!" boomed the Principal. "Now I know you're all excited to leave this place and start your lives out in the world, but as we continue to honor our senior class, we like to give them a few of our own words of wisdom before we send you out into the world as High School graduates."

Everyone in the auditorium cheered.

"So now, it's my pleasure to introduce our special guest for this evening: a three-time Hugo Award winner for excellence in science fiction and an international best-selling author, Bryan McCain!"

Everyone applauded. It was so typical of West Roswell to choose someone famous for science fiction. After all, it was Roswell, New Mexico—home of the aliens.

Maria bit onto her lower lip, trying not to let out a cry. Bryan McCain—the man who was supposed to be at the UFO Convention—he was here now! She looked back again at her friends who all had glistening eyes and shocked expressions. It was time. They knew they didn't have a few days; they only had a few hours today. What were they going to do? Maria balled her fists into her robe and tried to hold back the choking sobs.

Bryan McCain—a simple man who was balding, who wore glasses, who wore a tweed coat—was just a man who only wanted to spread his scientific findings to the world. He was given the honor to speak at a graduation ceremony, but what he didn't know was he held a deeper role in the battle of good versus bad aliens. He was the sign that people, good people, were going to die.

"Much of my work is about the possibility of alien life," spoke McCain. "Of course, that's fiction, but the truth is that we're all aliens, really, in our own way... especially in high school."

* * *

" _Psssssshhhhhhhhhh_. This is—This is team leader, Viceroy. All shooters report in, please," buzzed through the earpiece.

Clothed from head to toe in black, a sniper breathed in deeply as he located his target with his weapon—Zan, now known as Max Evans. He pressed his earphone. "This is Bulldog. My target is in the clear."

"This is Terrier. My target is in the clear," hummed the earpiece.

He waited for the rest of his team to get into position. Keeping his eye on the King, he smirked. This war will end today.

"This is Pointer. My target is in the clear."

Zooming closer on his target with his telescopic sight, he waited for his team leader to give him the go. Khivar would win today.

"This is—This is Viceroy. All shooters stand by. Do not fire until the rest of the unit has arrived," hissed his team leader through the radio. "Repeat, do not fire until the rest of the unit has arrived to secure the facility."

The sniper sighed. They were aliens yet they were using human technology. Their alien weapons, other than their powers, did not seem to work on Earth. Something to do with the planets' difference in gravity, or whatever the scientists had gone on and one about. They wanted to use their powers, but they couldn't risk the humans knowing their existence. There would be another war, and one was enough already. Bulldog glared at the human weapon in his hand. He prayed this would work, and if it didn't, they had backup plans.

* * *

Michael Guerin had dropped out of school. There was no way he was graduating. He had been in and out of school more than a normal student should be. He had been given so many chances by the school to change his ways when they knew of his home situation, but sympathy was not going to get him anywhere. Sympathy would not allow him to graduate with his friends, so he took this exact moment to leave. They could start their new lives without him and he would do the same.

Sitting on his motorcycle, he stared at the sign that read "You're leaving Roswell, New Mexico." How often he wanted to leave this place, and here he was now, actually leaving what he had known all his life behind. His family, his true family, always kept him here. He couldn't leave behind the only people he knew who cared for him. They were the ones who always brought him back when he tried to leave. But now they were all going their own way, separately. He was on his own.

Sighing, he reached into his back pocket and held what had been nagging him in the back of his mind. He looked down at the Lovers tarot card. Crinkled and ripping at the edges, Michael kept it on him to remind him of what he also had besides his family. Maria DeLuca, the first girl he ever admitted to loving, the _only_ girl he would ever love.

Staring back at the sign again, he held back his tears and let the card drop to the ground. He put on his helmet, started his bike, and took off with a roar. He was going to start his life.

* * *

"When I sat down to write this speech," McCain spoke. "I was struck by the similarities between what I do and the situation that you find yourself in now."

Max looked at Liz. This was what she predicted. But the time they had predicted was all off. They were going to be killed today, not a few days from now. He painfully smiled at his beloved and felt a bit better when she returned a smile. He searched the auditorium for their enemies, but it was too dark. The lights had dimmed down to focus only on McCain when he walked in. He couldn't see them, but he felt them. He could feel danger, the hatred in the room; he felt his enemies.

"... believe in what could be. About having faith... okay, that life and the universe holds more than what we perceive. As your contemplate," continued McCain.

Max knew it was time. With a tight jaw, he slowly got up and walked up to the podium.

Whispers broke out due to the interruption.

* * *

" _Pssssssshhhhhhhhhhh_. We've got movement. Target is active. I repeat, target is active," spoke Bulldog into his earpiece. He followed Max with his scope, keeping his vision on him.

His leader responded, "Bulldog, maintain target. Keep the kid in your sites."

Bulldog cursed. "What the hell is he doing?" This was not the plan.

* * *

Max placed his hand over the microphone and whispered to the guest speaker, "You need to leave the building right now."

"What?" McCain replied.

"It's for your own safety," he said. Using his powers to manipulate McCain's speech cards, he changed the words to say: "LEAVE NOW FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY."

The man gave Max a bewildered look, completed shocked by what he just saw, and did what any normal person would do—he backed away.

Max stared at the microphone before him. He stared at the confused looks in the crowd only to find the one face that gave him confidence. He then knew exactly what to say.

"Hi. I'm Max Evans. I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. McCain, but I'd like to take his opportunity to say a few things on behalf of myself and the graduating class."

"Ew, what is Evans doing?" cried Pam Troy to her friends. "He's ruining our graduation!"

Max reached for the microphone. He had to protect his family. He had to protect them all. He used his powers to short-circuit all the lights in the room. The crowd moaned in surprise. The only light that remained was on him.

* * *

Bulldog cursed when he heard his teammates say they lost their targets. "I still have a lock on the target," he snarled.

* * *

Liz waved her hands at Kyle, Maria, and Alex, telling them they had to leave. They got up slowly and began to walk out.

Jeff Parker looked at his daughter, confused by what was going on. "Lizzie?" he spoke, but she didn't look back. She just kept walking.

Max gulped. He watched as his friends left safely. "Some of us here tonight to walk across this stage, get our hard-earned diplomas and toss our caps into the air," he spoke, staring down at the robed students of Roswell. "But there's another group here tonight, a group of people who are here for another reason altogether. They're here to say goodbye. Goodbye to their high school lives."

Isabel wiped her tears and turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, I love you so much!"

"Isabel, what's going on?" her dad asked.

"Please don't ask me anything. I can't answer. Just know that, I am so grateful for all the things you've done for me and Max. Thank you for taking us in and giving us a family we never knew we could have."

"Isabel, wait," her mom responded.

"Isabel, we love you too," said her dad, seemingly to understand just what Isabel was trying to say. She was saying goodbye.

She couldn't do this. If she saw her them cry, she wouldn't be able to leave. She wasn't as strong as Michael who was ready to leave everything behind in a second. She turned from them and ran out, following her friends.

Max watched as his sister ran out. He saw his parents, the Parkers, and everyone staring at him, expecting he would tell them what was going on. "You see, this group has been through a lot. And tonight is the night they've decided to call it quits. It's been a long and hard road for them. They have a lot of wounds... They've lost people, people that were close to them. They've had each other to cling to, but tonight, that's all coming to an end."

"What is he talking about?" said a frowning Pam Troy. The class of 2001 all had no idea what was going on. This was not how they had rehearsed for their graduation ceremony.

* * *

Viceroy, the team leader and quite a big man, began walking down the dark path leading to West Roswell High with the rest of his team following behind him. He cursed as he received his team's intermission. "What's going on? Do you have them or not?" he hissed.

". This is Pointer. I don't see her."

"This is Terrier. I've lost my target too."

"This is Bulldog. I have a clean shot on my target. Should I take him?"

He breathed out almost in relief. At least they had one target—the most important target. Ignoring the brisk wind, he replied, "Wait. We're almost in position." With a nod to his men, he spoke. "Team, you know what to do," And his men who took off to their positions.

* * *

Max clenched the sides of the podium, digging his nails into the wood. "I'm a member of that group of... outsiders. I always knew I was different and for a long, long time, all I wanted was to be another face in the crowd."

For so long, Max Evans wished he could just be normal. He just wanted to be human. He wanted to laugh, smile, and have fun like the rest of the teens his own age. All so he could be with Liz. But he wasn't normal nor was he human, and somehow he had Liz.

"But in the end, it wasn't possible. I guess it never was. So from now on, I'll just concentrate on being who I really am. Some of you might not like that. Some of you might even find that frightening."

He thought, _I am in love with Elizabeth Parker. I am a hybrid clone. I am an alien. I am human. I am the King of Antar, a far and distant planet. I am known as Zan. I am Max Evans_.

"But that's not my problem anymore. I have to be who I really am and let fate take care of the rest. So thank you, Roswell... Thank you for letting me live among you. Thank you for giving me a family. Thank you for giving me a home. Thank you."

He saw his mother hold a tissue to her eyes. His heart broke for her, broke for his dad. All they ever did was love him and his sister, and now he had to leave them, leaving them childless again. He wanted to say more, but he said all he needed to.

Once satisfied that the men surrounded the building, Viceroy spoke to Bulldog: "We're in position. Take him."

Bulldog stared at his target through his scope and was about to squeeze the trigger when suddenly there was a bang and a burst of white light filled the room.

The light blinded him and he cursed. The light temporarily blinded him and when he could see again, he couldn't see anything through his scope. "WHAT! Lost my target! I lost my target! I can't see anything! What the hell's going on?" yelled Bulldog into his earpiece.

The team leader cursed. "Maintain target. Maintain targets!"

Max gritted his teeth and shielded his eyes. He didn't do this. Where was this light coming from?

A roar filled the room and Max quickly saw Michael in his motorcycle speeding down the aisle and up onto the stage.

"They're here, Max! The Skins—they're outside!" Michael yelled through the helmet. "Let's go!"

Max nodded and jump onto the back seat, leaving everything he knew behind in that room.

* * *

Viceroy growled. He had lost his targets... temporarily. Khivar would not be pleased. He had hoped this plan would work. Shoot the contained Royal family and leave before the humans intervened. Now the Royals were out of the building.

"Unit, please tell me you see them," he growled into the earpiece.

" _Psssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_. We see them, Viceroy. We have them surrounded by the front entrance," replied the other end.

Bulldog cursed again as he picked up the latest information, packed up his equipment and ran out of the auditorium. He was going to be involved in this fight. There was no way he was sitting back and letting his comrades have all the fun.

* * *

When Liz, Maria, Alex, Kyle, and Isabel burst through the high school doors, they found themselves staring straight at an army of the Skins. They froze in their steps. Their breaths hitched. Instinctively, Liz, Isabel, and Kyle stood in front of their friends, knowing they were the only ones capable of protecting them.

One of the soldiers scoffed loudly in disgust. "This is them? This is who we are fighting?" he spoke.

Isabel glared at the man who obviously compensated for his short height by being a pain in the ass.

"There's no need for us. Just one of us could kill them!" he laughed out. "Where's your army? Where's your great army? Nowhere because the Antarians have turned their backs on you. They threw you on this pathetic planet and abandoned you!"

Some of the soldiers laughed. Some just watched.

"And look, there must be King Zan—oh, you go by Max Evans now, don't you? Well, lookie here guys, there's King Max's human bitch. Man, I thought Khivar was kidding but jeez! The King slumming with these beasts—I can't wait to spread this news throughout Antar," he clapped excitedly.

Liz could feel her body hum in anger. Her fingers tingled as her powers began to illuminate her hand in a bright green light.

"This is Viceroy. Attack the Royals! Repeat, attack the Royals!" came through the radio.

The fighter who had been talking suddenly went quiet. He nodded to his peers as if to say it was time. With this nod, the army charged towards them with a cry.

"Oh my god, what are we going to do?" cried Maria who was clutching onto Alex. Isabel and Liz raised their hands, channeling their powers, waiting for the first row of soldiers to reach them. But suddenly Kyle pushed everyone to the side with as much force as he could, practically tackling them like a true footballer. He heard the rumbling that came from behind the doors they came through and knew whatever was on the other side would come crashing into them.

Michael and Max came bursting through the doors on the motorcycle and the first thing they saw was an army of Skins running towards them. "Michael, jump!" Max yelled. They both leaped off the bike, rolling in the dirt. As the motorcycle fell onto its side and slid towards the Skins, Max raised his hand and targeted the vehicle.

The motorcycle exploded in huge flames as it skidded towards the enemies. Some got caught in the flames; all they could hear was screams as more came running through the flames.

Max and Michael got up, regrouping back with their friends. Michael melted the locks of the school doors, preventing anyone from coming out through the front entrance. Before he had crashed the ceremony, he made sure that all the exits, except for the front doors, was locked with the help of his powers.

"Max, what are we going to do?" Isabel asked quickly. "We're not prepared. We're not—"

"Just fight, Isabel. Fight with everything you got!" he replied before suddenly running towards the opponents. He made the decision to go into the fight first. He would distract the soldiers until his friends were ready to fight. He was the leader; it was his duty.

He heard Liz scream his name but he focused his energy into his hands. As soon as a uniformed fighter was in front of him, he punched him with his glowing hand, making his punch stronger than the average punch. The man's jaw separated at its hinges; the lower jaw dangling low and to the side. Max laid his hands on the man's head, frying his brain. The fighter slumped to his knees and fell forward. He then slammed his heel into his back, vaporizing him.

Michael gritted his teeth as he blasted at the squad from afar. He watched as Alex stood behind Kyle who was doing his best to do harm to the opponent. He stiffened when he felt a body press up against his backside. Tiny arms came around his waist. "Michael, you came back!" choked Maria.

He growled as he sent another blast at someone who came to their left. "Of course, I did, you idiot. You didn't think I was going to just leave you here alone, did you?" Before letting Maria respond, he took her hand and moved towards Kyle and Alex. "Get her out of here!" he told Alex.

"No, Michael, I'm not leaving you!" Maria shouted.

"ALEX, GET HER OUT!" he ordered his friend.

Alex nodded, picked up Maria and plopped her over his shoulder. He knew Maria wouldn't leave without a fight. This was the only way. This wasn't their fight. Ignoring Maria screaming at him and at Michael, he ran towards the dark of the night.

"Mike!" yelled Rath, appearing to his right, with Zan, Ava, and Lonnie trailing behind him.

"He's there, fighting!" shouted Michael, referring to Max who was deep inside the battle.

Rath nodded. "Ava, make sure they're safe," he said, referring to Alex and Maria.

"Rath, I can figh—"

"Ava, they need someone to protect them. GO," Rath ordered.

Ava shook her head, cursing that she was going to miss the fight, muttered that she was the one who destroyed the Skins last time, and caught up with Alex and Maria.

The rest ran towards the warzone.

Rath smirked as he grabbed a solider by the neck and slammed him to the ground. With a holler, he got on top and pressed his electrified hands on the man's chest. The soldier screamed as his insides were blasted to a crisp.

Lonnie quickly found Isabel. They stood back to back, sending what appeared to be fire at the enemies. Like the motorcycle had done, the two burnt everyone in their path.

Zan quickly located Liz and cursed. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get out of here!" he hollered, pushing her towards the same direction Alex had gone.

"No, Zan, I'm staying and fighting!"

Zan held his shield up, blocking the fighters from touching Liz as he did his best to slam his fist into their backs. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, LIZ. YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF AND OUR BABY KILLED."

Her hands instinctively went to her stomach. Zan was right. She was in no state to fight, especially not with the baby. "But you need my help!"

"No, I don't! You're a distraction, Liz. I can't fight and worry about you at the same time. I can only fight if I know you're far away and safe. NOW GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" he yelled at her. His eyes darkened till they were almost black; his power overtook his body. For a moment, Liz thought he was going to accidentally blast her with his powers.

She watched him with glistening eyes. "I love you," she whispered hoarsely and ran.

Max grunted, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Someone had blasted him, singeing his skin. His graduation robe had a burnt gaping hole on his shoulder. He tackled his attacker, bringing him down to the ground. He did his best with his fists, breaking the man's nose and bursting blood all over the soldier's face but was quickly pulled to the side by two soldiers. He used his hands, his legs, his head; he used everything.

Knowing Liz was safe, Zan aggressively unleashed his powers and began to use every method possible to make contact with the Skins' backs.

Kyle's powers were still not that advanced so he relied on using tools from Mother Nature such as a large sturdy tree branch or rocks to slam into the little buttons on the enemies' backs. As he destroyed one Skin, another came towards him.

Zan looked up just in time to see Max underneath four fighters. Three held him down, but the fourth placed his hand on Max's chest. "NOOOO!" screamed Zan.

* * *

It would be another two hours before the battle would end. Not the war, but just this single battle. Bodies laid throughout, or at least what was left of the bodies. Some had vaporized into dust, some looked like a barbecue gone wrong.

All left standing were the good guys; the good guys who didn't look like the good guys in this particular moment. They were covered in dirt, blood, and were wounded almost everywhere possible. Their chests rose quickly as their lungs wanted more oxygen than they would take in.

Kyle was the first to crumble to the ground, not caring that he was lying only a few feet from a dead soldier. He was too exhausted to care. Out of everyone left, he was the one that hurt the most. He relied on his human fighting techniques rather than his powers. Still a beginner, using his powers had drained to the point where half way through the fight, he couldn't even attempt a single spark. His knuckles were sore from punching and were bleeding; the skin on his hand cracked and torn. He had a large gash on both his legs that would definitely require some alien healing.

Lonnie and Isabel were lying together, so exhausted that they actually fell asleep as soon as they hit the ground. Despite their rugged appearance, they had such peaceful faces. Lonnie's left arm was burned and bleeding through the cracked skin. Isabel's right fingers were broken after unintentionally punching a fighter who had tried grabbing her around the waist.

Rath was sitting down, lazily blinking. He sported a black eye that had puffed up so bad that he could barely see out of his right eye. If he had a mirror, he would also see that that same eye was bloody—the small delicate vessels had burst. His jaw was swollen too. He winced as he slid his dry tongue across his teeth, checking to see they were all still in his mouth. They were, and that's all he cared about at that moment. He fell back with a thud and proceeded to pass out from exhaustion.

Michael still stood but was on his way to crumbling to the ground. His knees were shaking, slightly bent. Maria would always complain about his bad hair (but much to Michael's protest, his hair was intended to look exactly the way it had looked), but if she saw him now, she would have to place this as his number one worst hair style of all time in his top ten worst hair list. His hair was singed and whipping in all directions like he had just touched a giant static ball. He sported a cut on his jaw and could feel the bruises all over his body.

Zan sat on the ground, resting his head against the knee he had up. He breathed heavily, trying to ignore the stinging on his face. It seems that his piercings are always the first to go and get ripped off his skin in a fight. He pondered not getting another one as the blood from his eyebrow seeped into his eye. He was so physically drained that he didn't think he could muster up the power to heal himself tonight. Tonight, he just needed to sleep. Screw showering.

From a distance, he heard Liz cry out his name. The sounds of her running feet grew louder as she came closer. She threw her arms around him and he accepted her easily. "Zan, oh god, you're alright. Oh god, oh god," she repeated, holding him tight and kissing him anywhere that wasn't bloody.

Maria found herself next to Michael. He looked at her as if he hadn't seen her in years. He looked so tired, so empty. "Tell me what I can do, Michael," she asked. He looked at her silently and laced his fingers with hers. "Just be here," he replied.

Alex sat beside Isabel, brushing the hair away from her face. He felt his stomach churn at the sight of her so bruised. He wished he was an alien so he could heal her, so he could take her pain away, but he wasn't. He was just a simple man. He lifted her up so he could cradle her in his lap, murmuring his love into her ear. Even though she couldn't hear him, he just needed to hold her and tell her anyway.

Ava laid beside Kyle. "Hey champion. How are you feeling?"

"Like someone threw me into a wood chipper," Kyle replied. "Repeatedly."

"Aww, poor baby," she cuddled him. "My big brave hero," she murmured.

Kyle smiled. "Yeah?" Ava nodded with a small grin, and softly and carefully kissed him.

"Zan, where's Max?" asked Liz, not seeing sight of him. Zan looked at her with a blank look. "Zan," she choked, getting worried. "Where's Max?"

The soldier knew he was going to die. There was no more point in fighting. Those who could escape had long gone. The rest were beside him with lifeless bodies. Even his team leader, Viceroy, was dead. If he did fight, attempted to, he would not get far. It was four men against him. The Royal women were no longer in the fight; they rested peacefully. Four men against one—no, he would not get very far at all. If he did escape, it would not look well on him. Khivar would surely kill him in anger over this disastrous battle when he sees him—the lone survivor of the battle. He grunted. He would not die a coward. He would not die without a fight, even if he would lose. He got off the ground and onto his knees. He could not get up any higher. His legs felt dead.

Max was so numb that he didn't feel his body screaming at him to stop moving. He had a large cut that ran down the side of his face; it definitely would leave a scar. His shoulders were aching that he could barely lift up his arms. But he pushed the dead bodies of his enemy off of him and got up off the ground anyway. He wobbled but managed to get up. He felt like a fawn learning how to walk for the first time. He was sure he was bleeding somewhere because as he walked, a trail of blood followed him. He limped slowly towards the man on his knees. One last soldier. One last enemy. He practically threw his hand on top of the man's head, almost using his head to stand up like a cane.

How long he had been clenching his jaw, he had no clue. His teeth felt like they were going to split and crumble to pieces. His jaw may have been tight from the moment he ran into the battle; he wasn't sure.

"Khivar," Bulldog wheezed out, "is going to come after you. You killed his lover. You rebel against him. You—" He placed his hand on Max's leg almost as if using him for balance.

As soon as his hand touched Max's leg, Max held his breath, closed his eyes, wrapped his hands around the man's jaw, and wrenched the head to the side, breaking the man's neck. He let go of the body and listened to the thud as the man's body dropped to the ground. He breathed out.

He stood silently with wet eyes as his eyes fell on the dead bodies. There were so many. They fought an army but they were all still here. "God," he cried out. "Oh god," he repeated as he fell on his knees. Tears streamed down his ashy face as his lips pulled back into a cry that bared his teeth. He wasn't sure why he was crying. He had killed before, hurt before. Was his killing spree getting to him? Was it sheer exhaustion or sheer happiness that they were all still alive?

He felt Liz's arms come around him, but he couldn't move. He couldn't. He was worried that if he moved, this would all be a dream, that he was dead and just seeing what he wished had happened. He buried his face into her hair, breathing in as much of her scent as he could take, as she comforted him. "It's okay, Max. It's okay," she repeated, holding him tight as he wept.

* * *

**Michael's apartment.**

"Modesty prevents me from taking a bow," muttered Michael as he opened a Snapple.

Max smiled at Isabel. If Michael hadn't shown up, Max might not be here. He would've been taken out. Who knows how things would have turned out then.

"Are we ready?" asked Kyle, peeking his head out from Michael's door as he stood in the hallway.

"Ready as we'll ever be," replied Michael, kicking his duffel bag into the hall.

Max and Isabel got up, joined the two men, and went downstairs. As they got out of the building, they saw a beat-up green Volkswagen van, and Liz, Maria and Alex laughing with Ava, Lonnie and Zan.

Michael threw his bag into the van and turned to his girlfriend. "Maria, one last chance."

"This is my choice. This is what I want. And whatever that is in the end, that's what it'll be. We're doing this together," she replied. He smiled and kissed her on temple.

Isabel smiled. "Alex," she started.

"Hey, stop right there, beautiful," Alex said, holding his hands up. "Ditto to everything Maria just said."

"You can still have a life, Alex. The life you were supposed to have before you met me," she stated.

"Isabel," he smiled, cupping her face. "My life didn't start _until_ I met you."

"So I guess this is it," Kyle spoke. "Our life in Roswell."

"Yeah," nodded Liz. "Goodbye Roswell."

"And good riddance to ya!" Zan laughed.

"Zan!"

"Liz, ya can't expect to tell me that ya love this cornball town," Ava replied.

"Hey, we had some good times in Roswell," Kyle stated.

Maria smiled. "We did, didn't we?"

"What a long strange trip it has been," Liz replied. She wrapped her arms around her best friend. Alex and Kyle joined in on the group hug.

"Oh fuck, can we break up this total Saved By The Bell moment and go?" Rath responded with disgust.

Lonnie rolled her eyes and got into the driver's seat. "I'm drivin'!"

They all piled into the van, and as Lonnie was about to pull out from the parking space, a police vehicle stopped them.

"Kyle?" a voice yelled out from the car.

Kyle got out of the van and breathed out a chuckle as his dad appeared in uniform. "That's a nice outfit there, deputy."

Jim took off his hat. "Yeah, well, when you're starting over, you've gotta start somewhere, right?"

"I don't think Roswell's ever gonna forget about the class of 2002," said Kyle.

"You should see all the paper work piling up back at the office. Reporters are already having a field day with this—high school surrounded by burnt marks. It's an evolution of the UFO crop marks," Jim replied.

Kyle chuckled before going silent. "Dad, thanks for..." He couldn't find the words. "Just thanks."

"I won't ask where you're going so I can honestly say I don't know, but you probably know there are a lot of _people_ looking for you."

Kyle wiped his nose. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, son," choked Jim. He took his boy into his arms and gripped him tightly. "I love you, Kyle. Be safe," he said, letting him go.

* * *

**July 2001.**

  
**Flashback** **—Unknown location, in a hotel.**

Liz chewed on the Kit Kat bar coated in Tabasco sauce as she was lost in thought. Her fingers lazily drew circles on her stomach. She focused her eyes and smiled when she saw a glow beneath her shirt. Lifting it up, she saw the baby's little hand follow her fingertips. "Hey there, little one," she cooed. She noticed the glow grow brighter. Then at that moment, Max and Zan walked in.

"Hey Liz," they murmured.

She sighed softly. "You're like a doorbell. You have your daddies on radar, don't you?"

Max sat down on the hotel bed while Zan sat in the one person sofa seat; both had a smile on their lips as they watched the little baby hand press against Liz's stomach.

"Are you sure?" asked Max.

"Liz, if ya don't wanna, we don't hafta. We _can_ take care of the babe," replied Zan.

She shook her head. "No, you guys are right. When this baby comes, everything will change. We can't have a child on the road. Long drives, hours without food or a proper bathroom, constant alien danger—that's no place for a baby."

Max shook his head. "We can make it work."

"But what about school? We can teach, but that's no environment for a child. To always be on the move with no stability, no friends, no—" She stopped herself. "No, this is the right choice."

"Adoption?" Zan queried.

"Adoption," Liz confirmed.

* * *

**August 2001.**

  
**Flashback—Unknown location.**

"So how many more days till that little one is going to come bursting into this world?"

Liz scrunched up her nose, trying not to picture the image of her giving birth. "A few more," she answered, rubbing her stomach. "God, Maria... Can you believe it? In a few days, I'm going to be a mom. I carried her for so many months, letting her grow inside me, and she's going to be in my arms soon."

"You're going to be such a great moth—" stopped Maria when Alex pressed her shoulder. She frowned when she saw the lines on Liz's forehead crease. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay, Maria. It's not your fault. If it were up to me, I wouldn't give her up at all. But I have to so she can have a safe and normal life."

"It will all work out, Lizzie. You'll see."

Liz smiled. "I hope so," she breathed out, already itching to hold her baby in her arms.

Alex coughed, breaking the sad moment. "Are we ready?"

Liz nodded. As Alex strummed the strings on his guitar, she opened her mouth and sang.

* * *

**October 2001.**

**Flashback** **—Unknown location, in a hotel.**

Adia Elizabeth Parker-Evans made a soft gurgle as her mouth opened in a yawn in her portable crib. Adia for "gift." Elizabeth in Future-Liz's memory. Parker because Liz didn't want to give up her last name for Adia. Evans, well, for the obvious reason; Zan didn't have a last name so it was natural of him to take up the Evans name.

Max grinned down at his little gift. Adia looked exactly like Liz when she was a baby, except for the fact that she had his—no... Zan's eyes—auburn with green specks. Despite Adia not being his true daughter (that he created with Liz), her biological genes were his just as well. She acknowledged him as her father nonetheless. The moment she came wailing into this world, his heart swelled bigger than he thought possible. Instinctively, he wanted to protect her from all the bad in the world. He wanted to shelter her and do nothing but make her smile and laugh.

"You're going to be such a strong girl. This," he referred to giving her up, "will only make you stronger. And you'll be loved. God, you'll be adopted by amazing parents, ones like mine, who will love you just as much as I do you."

He heard a scuffle and saw Liz walking in from the bathroom.

"Don't you think you should get some sleep?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

He smiled. "Didn't I tell you? Aliens don't need sleep."

"Try telling Zan that. He was so tired from driving all night that he didn't even make it back to the bedroom. I think he's sleeping with Rath right now."

"His loss. I got to sleep with you," Max teased.

Liz gave him an all-knowing look and clicked her tongue at him. "You don't have to watch her every second."

"It's hard to tear myself away."

"Remember when Zan took her into the bathroom with him so he could watch her while he showered?" she snickered.

"Yeah, that was creepy," he laughed. "I think you slapped him more times than ever that day." He ran his finger lightly down Adia's soft chubby cheeks. She turned her head towards his finger, acknowledging his presence with a gurgle. Suddenly, he was serious. "They're out there, Liz. I know it. I can feel it."

"Don't worry, Max. She'll have a normal human life. Maybe if things were different, maybe in the future there will be a way..."

He nodded sadly in agreement.

* * *

**December 2001.**

**Flashback—** **Unknown location.**

"Oh god, I can't do this. I can't!" cried Liz.

"We have to," Zan said. "We have to ensure her safety, and the only way to do that is to get her as far away as possible from us."

"We can protect her! We can! We'll make it work!" she cried, repeating the same words Max and Zan once said when the plan of giving her up arose. She clutched baby Adia closer, whispering, kissing her, crying. "She's my baby girl."

"And she's mine too. Liz, this is just as hard for me as it is for you."

Max stepped up and took Adia out of Liz's arms.

Zan quickly held Liz back, stopping her from reaching for Adia. "No! No, no, no!" she exclaimed as she broke down into tears.

Max brushed a hand across Adia's forehead; a glow emitted. "She'll have a memory of us. No matter where she will be, she will know we love her." He placed Adia into a small wooden basket, covered with enough blankets to ensure her warmth. He tucked in a CD and the Antarian necklace in the side.

Zan ushered a broken Liz into the van, allowing Maria to comfort her.

Max got into the driver's seat, wiping his face, while Zan took one teary last look at baby Adia on the steps of a church. "We'll be back for you, Adia. I promise, we'll be back."

* * *

**January 2001.**

**Flashback—Unknown location, in a hotel.**

_Our love was lost,  
but now we've found it.  
And if you flash your heart,  
I won't deny it.  
I promise._

" **Love Lost," The Temper Trap**.

Max fiddled with his thumbs before scratching the back of his ear. He finally got a chance of being alone with Liz. Zan was out grocery-shopping with Rath and Michael, while the rest were piled in another room, watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on TV. "Liz, we never really discussed the whole... I mean, we've been so busy with trying not to get killed, fighting the Skins, being on the run thing, Adia, that—"

"Max?"

"That kiss, Liz," he said, referring to the kiss they shared to get a flash from Liz. "I know you felt it because I did."

She nodded and smiled at the tingling sensation she felt at the memory. "I felt it."

"And that ring... I mean, it's not just my ring. It's Zan's too. I just... I need to know where we stand."

"Max, I'm with Zan."

"I know," he frowned, dropping his head. "I know, Liz. But I can't just be... I can't just sit back and be your friend."

"Max, listen. I can't be your friend either."

His head shot up. "Liz, I—"

She continued. "I talked to Zan and he doesn't like it, but... If you want, only if you want, Max, we can... I mean, obviously I'm going to be with Zan but I want to be with you too. And I know you two don't like the idea and I really can't choose, and I'm not saying we do things like threesomes, which would be really hot by the way, but I want to be with you at the same time. Oh god, I'm rambling like Maria, aren't I?" she bit her lower lip nervously.

His fingers reached her face, softly caressing her cheeks. "I won't deny the fact that I'm not a fan of the idea. I don't like sharing, but if that's what it takes to have you, I will take what I can get."

Liz searched for any doubt in his face and she saw none. She reached for his shoulder and kissed him. It was a light kiss—just a soft pressure of lips on lips—that soon turned into something more. She moaned softly as his tongue slipped past her lips and found hers, lightly massaging the two together.

The room became very hot. Their bodies knew what was going to happen. The kiss alone jumpstarted and released all the sexual frustration they felt for one another. Too many times they came so close to being together, physically, mentally, emotionally... Tonight was the night they would finally join together.

He couldn't not touch her. His fingers ached to feel her. He wanted to feel her wrapped around his body, wanted to plunge into her core, and hear her cry out his name over and over again. He pulled her into his lap; each leg thrown over his waist. His hand cupped her bottom, pressing her heat against his erection. The other snuck its way under her shirt, feeling her soft milky skin. She gently cried into the kiss as she felt pressure against her lower heat. "Oh god," she said, exposing her neck so his lips could travel downwards, sucking, licking, biting.

Grasping his face before dipping her fingers into his luscious hair, she lured his tongue with hers as she grinded softly at the bulge, letting out a mew that could only mean she appreciated the size of him. His eyes rolled back a little and he fell back onto the bed with Liz on top of him. He stopped her movements, running his hands around her bottom before grazing her core through her jeans.

Hot, it was so hot. She shivered in delight, wanting to feel his fingers against her naked core. His hands lifted higher and higher into her shirt to find she wasn't wearing a bra. The revelation went straight to his cock; his jeans growing tighter. He grazed the underside of her breasts. His thumbs caressed the plump mounds before touching her areolas, not touching her nipples.

"Please," she gasped. He wanted to take this slow. He wanted so long for this moment. He didn't want to rush into it. He needed to show her exactly how much he loved her.

Her fingers danced across his chest, appreciating the hard muscles underneath the shirt before pushing it up towards his shoulders. She leaned down, kissing and licking his tanned abs. His body was flawless. A complete hairless chest except for the happy trail that started underneath his belly button and disappeared underneath the waistband of his boxers and jeans. Her tongue found his nipple, swirling, satisfied when he hissed a curse.

She pulled his shirt off of him. She needed to feel him against her skin. She quickly peeled off her shirt, revealing herself to him. He stilled. His eyes darkened. His lips parted in heavy breathing. She was beautiful. Creamy breasts with perky nipples that begged to be sucked. He sat up, pushing her upwards, and did just that. He sucked in the tip, disappointed that he couldn't fit her entire breast in his mouth.

"Max," she breathed out as her eyes fluttered closed. She felt so cold when she took off her shirt but his mouth was hot. His drawing of her nipple sent shocks straight to her already wet core. His free hand reached up and pinched the other, eliciting a shriek from Liz which turned back into a groan as he fondled her softly. He placed open mouth kisses across her breasts, burrowing his face in between the two mounds. He licked where her cleavage came together and she pressed her fingers into his shoulder.

"Beautiful," he murmured. Cupping her breasts together, his mouth danced from one to the other, giving an equal amount of attention to each. She was so soft, so pliant, so delectable. When he felt her hands trying to undo his jeans, he flipped them until she was on her back. He travelled down her chest before brushing his nose against her center. He could smell her arousal through her jeans.

"Please, Max," she pleaded. Propped up on her elbows, she watched him slowly undo her button and pull her zipper down. As soon as he saw the hint of her red panties, he ripped the jeans off her legs. She was shocked by the speed. He pushed her legs apart and grunted when he saw a dark stain where her folds hid behind the tiny fabric. Pushing the fabric aside, he opened her puffy lips. Pink, wet, and pulsing with need. His finger trailed lightly around her opening but never dipping inside.

She arched, pushing her hips towards him, wanting his finger in her. He pulled the material down her legs. Her scent... God, her scent. He practically drooled. Spreading her folds, he winked at her when she grabbed his shoulders. She tensed when his tongue slid within her core. He tested, tasted, felt her vagina with his mouth. One lick. Two licks. Three licks. She tasted like honey. He brought his hand down to his erection and squeezed himself, trying to get control of his body. Just by looking at her like this, he was ready to cum.

"Do you want me, Liz?"

"Yes," she hissed.

"Where do you want me?"

"Right where you are."

"And what do you want me to do?" he teased.

She fell back onto the bed, licking her dry lips. "Eat me, Max. Eat me."

With that said, she cried out when she felt his mouth surround her clit. He sucked and licked the tiny bundle of nerves. Her legs unintentionally clenched, trapping his head. He growled, holding her legs apart as he began to eat her out, as she ordered. He sought in between her folds, circling her opening before putting pressure on her nub.

She gasped when she felt his finger enter her slowly while he gave mouthful attention to her vagina. Pushing herself down on the finger, she smiled when a second finger entered. She knew his hands were large but his fingers felt so good. They felt snug within her walls. As if a sudden wave of confidence washed over him, he began to eat her out with such hunger while his fingers thrust against her walls. All she heard was the sucking sounds and the wet slosh of his fingers gliding in and out of her heat.

"Max, I'm going to, I'm going to—" Her heels dugs into his back as she arched. She rode out her orgasm on his face and fingers.

He withdrew and stood over her, smirking. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising up and down. She never looked sexier. He pulled his belt off the loops, dropping it to the ground with a thud. The sound surprised Liz as she tried to focus on him. He pushed his pants off. His penis bounced and hung completely hard.

Liz got up on her knees and crawled towards him. She pulled him till his knees hit the edge of the bed. Cupping him, her fingers smeared the pre-cum on the head. "Liz..." he groaned. She gave him a tentative lick as if she was testing out his flavor. Her wet tongue slid against the tip. He watched as the small drop of white disappear into her mouth. He held her face. She knew what he wanted. She held his organ, running her hand up and down. He was so soft yet so hard. Seven inches of thick meat rested in between his legs. She took him into her mouth, sucking him deeper down her throat as his hand fisted her hair. He watched as her head bobbed up and down on his cock. Her sunken in cheeks, the wet slurps... It was too much.

He pushed her away and climbed on top of her, pressing her down into the mattress. "I can't wait," he stated. She nodded, reaching down for him. He raised himself, pressing his arm down on the side of her. He reached down and guided himself towards her opening. She gasped when she felt the blunt tip press at her entrance. Hard and wide, he eased into her slowly. She felt her walls slowly expand to accommodate his size. "Take all of it, Liz. Take it all," he hissed into her ear. Her legs automatically spread wider. With each inch that slid in, he glided back out only to slide in another inch. She was so wet and tight. Her juices coated him. He pressed his hip tightly against hers when he was fully inside. Her fingers dug into his back as she took all of him into her body.

She whimpered. So full. So complete. He slid out an inch only to come back inside. "God, you feel amazing," he gasped. "Do you feel me inside you, Liz? Do you feel how hard I am for you? Feel how much you turn me on?"

"Yes," she choked out. "So good."

"You want me to fuck you, don't you? You don't want it slow. You want to be fucked senseless. Fucked till you can't breathe."

She wrapped her legs around him in anticipation. This was a new side of Max she never knew about. He never talked this way to her; she liked it. "Fuck me, Max. Fuck me," she commanded.

"God, I love you," he murmured. She whispered it back.

He propped himself up on his arms, not wanting to crush her. He slipped out till his tip remained inside only to surge back into her. She cursed as his thighs slapped against hers. He took her deep, hard and fast like he had promised. His mouth found hers, lashing her tongue with his, mimicking his cock. He stretched her out so wonderfully over and over again.

Their bodies moved in synch. Her arms wrapped around his strong back, feeling his muscles move with his thrusts. She could feel his body tense. He was almost there. He reached for clit and rubbed at the nub without breaking the rhythm of his plunging organ. It was enough to push her over. She arched against him, her breasts smashed against his chest, and orgasmed with a cry. He continued to thrust, grunting as sweat formed all over his body. When he felt her walls clench and quiver around his penis, he pushed in one last time before cumming inside of her.

* * *

**Present—2027.**

"This song goes out to Adia," said the rough voice of the host of the radio station.

Adia's eyes nearly fell out of her sockets. Her heart pounded in her ears. The radio seemed so far away from her when it was right in the cubicle over. God, it couldn't be! It was the same exact song; uncut and unprofessional. It was her mother singing. Of all the times Adia heard this song, this was the first time there was a dedication, and to her!

"Adia," said the host. "You know who you are." Her eyebrows shot up in alert confusion.

The host spoke again, "Wherever you are, turn around."

Her forehead creased. Running her tongue across her suddenly tight bottom lip, still desperately gripping the table, she slowly stood up and turned around.

Her eyes rested on two men and a woman who had smiles on their faces... And then Adia Elizabeth Parker-Evans smiled.

* * *

**Future—2028.**

Liz smiled. Resting her journal against her ever-growing stomach, she smiled as her pen scratched against the book.

" _Alex and Isabel are married. He proposed to her on a playground because apparently that's when he first saw Isabel and fell in love with her when he was young. They had a small wedding in a white church. Poor Isabel couldn't have the big wedding she always wanted, but when her wedding came, she said it was exactly how she imagined it._

_Michael and Maria are going strong, despite their expected ups and downs. But that's to be expected. Michael was never really the emotional type and Maria is; they're both still learning. They decided that marriage at the moment wasn't for them._

_Kyle and Ava are practically an old married couple, but they are too worried about putting a title other than boyfriend and girlfriend to their relationship. It was odd. Ava had never been a relationship kind of gal but Kyle is. He hints to her once in a while that they will get married but she doesn't say a word. She just smiles and kisses him. I think they're satisfied though with their current status._

_And... Max and Zan, and I did eventually tie the knot. We didn't go to an Elvis chapel like Future-Max predicted. Just a small alien ceremony that linked us together as husbands and wife. We don't need our love to be legalized on paper. I'm also pregnant with my second child—Zander Maxwell Evans, in memory of Max, Future-Max, and Zan.  
_

_Everything is going great. Adia is with us now, and accepted us like we never left her. She freaked out a bit when she first found out about her alien heritage but she finally understood why she always felt different from everyone else. We're all together now._

_We're still far away from Roswell, far away from our home, but.. we're all trying to avoid Khivar, the law and do good in the world. It's been a long and strange trip. I wonder if we will ever go back. I don't know. Even I can't see everything in the future. All I know is that I'm Liz Evans and I'm happy._ "

_All good things, I wish you._  
All good things come to an end.  
All good things, I wish you well.

" **All Good Things," Mandy Moore**.


End file.
